“Wireless innovation should not percolate, instead it should be incremental,” Premji emphasised at the seminar, which was jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Qualcomm, the telecom multinational. According to him, there was immense potential for wireless technologies to alleviate the educational and health standards of the rural people.
Tracing the history of wireless technologies and his company’s role, particularly in developing the CDMA technology, Dr Irwin Jacobs, co-founder and chairman, Qualcomm Incorporated, said, "Mobile handsets are increasingly outnumbering computing and consumer electronics devices as a result of reduction in costs and increased capabilities. Mobile phones can therefore, be used for bringing about significant socio-economic changes in fields of education and healthcare. Wireless connectivity has had a profound impact on emerging economies where every 1 per cent increase in mobile penetration leads to a 4.7 per cent increase in average per capita income.”
On his part, Subas Pani, secretary, Planning Commission, said that while a large number of projects had been launched at the micro-level, the challenge was now on upscaling them. In this context, he pointed to a novel initiative launched in Tamil Nadu under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme where a mobile phone was being used to effectively gather and verify data and prevent leakages.
Agreeing with Premji, Pani said, “Wireless technologies should be used to give service to the people where they need it, when they need it and in manner that they can use it.” In this context, he pointed to the government’s efforts to ICT-enable the post office network, which, he said, would be great step forward in achieving inclusive growth.
Earlier welcoming the delegates, Salil Singhal, chairman, CII (Northern Region) and chairman, Secure Meters Ltd, said that the spread of wireless technologies could lead to substantial job creation, a trend that would get a further boost if accompanied with greater access to Internet.
In his closing remarks, Kanwalinder Singh, president, Qualcomm, India and South Asia president, Qualcomm India Pvt Ltd, said, “Wireless technologies has significant relevance for India as it brings increased capabilities beyond just voice. Qualcomm as a technology enabler endeavours to make wireless connectivity affordable and accessible to the masses.” |
