5G Use Cases Lab is under the “100 5G Use Cases Labs Initiative" of Government of India. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi formally awarded the 5G Use Cases Lab to IIST during the inauguration of Indian Mobile Congress 2023 (IMC-2023) in New Delhi. This initiative aims to foster expertise and active participation in 5G and subsequent technologies among students, educators, researchers, and the startup ecosystem. 5G Use Cases Labs program will be overseen by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India.

The state-of-the-art 5G Use Cases Labs will be equipped with 5G cellular infrastructure (mid-band) SA, 5G SIMs, Dongles, IoT Gateway, Router, Application Server, and a comprehensive management dashboard. It consists of compact 5G networks and use case devices such as drones, AR-VR test kit, startup testing kit, to develop use case applications related to education, health, agriculture and other sectors. The lab can act as testing cum breeding grounds for upskilling innovations such as students and startups and aid in developing use case applications according to India’s needs.

Engineering institutions in and around south India can collaborate with IIST in order to utilise the 5G Use Cases Labs for research and education. The 5G use cases labs also promise to seamlessly integrate IIST into the expansive global digital development ecosystem. This can help to design, develop and deploy 5G & 6G technologies and also will enable high-end research in 5G and upcoming 6G technologies. This allows faculty and students to participate in international collaborations, joint research projects, and publications. It also opens avenues for partnerships with industry leaders, research institutions, and startups worldwide.

Students will gain hands-on experience with advanced 5G infrastructure, essential for understanding and developing 5G and future 6G technologies. This enhances their skills in areas like network deployment, data management, IoT, and AR/VR applications, making them highly employable in the tech-driven job market. This enables students to launch startup ventures focused on 5G technologies, contributing to India’s growing startup ecosystem.