What they don’t tell you about 5G
In India, we see Telecom as a money machine entangled with scams and schemes. Those who walked into free 4G are now being asked to pay. It is a zoo where one enters free of cost to see the lion, finds it out of the cage, and runs to the exit only to find a fee to get out safely. The Indian government never allowed BSNL to have 4G, thus making it obsolete and fit for closure. So, when the U.S. and China stake billions of dollars of trade over 5G, one in India wonders what the fuss is all about.
It is not commerce for which the U.S. has taken a tough stand against China on 5G – the fifth generation of mobile communication – it is the revolutionizing military potential of this technology – significant enough to make China a world power challenging the United States. Also, there is a lot of heartburn about the way China has stolen the best technology developed in the U.S. and is now offering it in the global market as a competitor. Let there be no doubt about it that for India, a Chinese 5G will amount to a total surrender of sovereignty to China forever.
For the people in general, 5G will be at least 20 times faster than the best 4G network today, enabling faster downloads of movies or smoother streaming. But on 5G driven phones, loaded with Artificial Intelligence, companies would know not only about your today but also about your tomorrow – your plans, your risks and where you are heading to – even before you decide on your next steps, which would be based on your temperament and conditioned patterns already known to your phone.
The situation will become more complex and precarious as 5G will not only eavesdrop on people to people communications but also hook them to the vast network of sensors, robots, and autonomous vehicles through sophisticated artificial intelligence. You will know if the shoe you bought is transmitting your location at every step, or your watch is hearing what you are talking and your emails are being read by a machine that will ‘design’ a future for you, that will be worse than any fate that you may fear.
With the ability to carry much more data, much lower network latency (network response time), energy consumption and much better stability than the previous generation of technologies, 5G is expected to transform digital communication. Using 5G, data can be transmitted at up to 10 gigabytes per second, much faster than using a 4G network, and the latency is reduced to under a millisecond, or 1 percent of that of 4G. Most of the things would be voice-controlled with no need to even look at your mobile phone as, after 4G, one doesn’t type any more; one just touches the screen and eventually, even that will go.
5G will finally bring all human beings online. Artificial intelligence, with the capability to imitate human intelligence, will perform a wide range of tasks starting from thinking to learning, reasoning, problem-solving and much more! It will initially seem fun and exciting, as was free 4G, but eventually, it will not only control you but also manipulate you for sure. Even if American 5G will not be different, it will not destroy Indian businesses by forecasting and flooding cheaper Chinese products in the market, which would be a fait accompli if Chinese 5G is used by India. Concepts like liberty, freedom, and democracy do not exist in China, so how do you expect them to be honored?
When Mark Zuckerberg says, “We’re at a point now where we’ve built AI tools to detect when terrorists are trying to spread content, and 99 percent of the terrorist content that we take down, our systems flag before any human sees them or flags them for us.” What Zuckerberg left unsaid is that everyone – the businesspeople, professionals like doctors and engineers, politicians and their clients; and individuals and families – can be tracked to know their future plans based on their present steps and moves.
AI is the new electricity and 5G is the invisible wire that will carry it. Just like electricity changed everything – manufacturing, trade, agriculture, healthcare, education, transport, and communication – so will AI. It is important to return to the basics. None of us can escape 5G taking over the world, but we can always refuse to be snared into it. Start forming habits of not keeping your mobile phone with you always, not talking to people over the phone but meeting them in person, writing letters by hand and above all, knowing your feelings, before machines take over and decide how you should feel.
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Dr. Tiwari, allow me to talk about the benefits of collecting data. Many people are concerned that companies are collecting data about them and tracking them and making them do things that they do not want to do. That all may be true, but also look at all amazing things that technology has created. It is because of data that companies have collected, we are enjoying services such as social media, Uber, Airbnb, and Google search. Amazon is selling and delivering products we buy in just one click (at least in the U.S.). Audible has so many books you can listen to and it can recommend you books based on what you have listened to previously. Companies like Netflix and Amazon create their own content. Consumers like and use these products and they would not be created if companies could not collect data.
As for Chinese companies – they invest a lot in R&D and some of them are offering the best 5G technology available on the market today. If we artificially restrict Chinese companies from the market, it would stifle innovation and result in increased prices and reduced quality. Also, other top vendors of network equipment have R&D centers and production facilities in China! Why isn’t this taken into account in the cost-benefit analysis? Look at the U.S. – it has effectively excluded Chinese equipment providers from the market, and the U.S. has one of the most expensive wireless services in the world and the quality of its networks is not that great. So, before one advocates for the exclusion of any competitors from the market, one should do a careful cost-benefit analysis to see if it is in fact beneficial.
1. 5G …is it required at all. ? We existed for years without it. Let us learn to live without it.
2. If it is demanded ..let it be limited to certain activities only …not intruding into our privacy or living
3. 5G can be a home grown product. What is the hurry …except to show case …and to whom …at what price ? At 60+, I would not mind …but our children…will we allow them to be slaves !!!
It is an eye opening blog and should be in reach of masses. Time is ripe to understand the meaning of Sanskrit word “mit” meaning moderate or lesser and also it reminds me of an old lines of wisdom which says that one with fewer wants is the richest. New generation is moving fast and wants every thing at a faster rate. Question is at what cost? Let’s stop and ponder a bit.
It is said that data is the new oil …and the commanding height of data technologies would be the cornerstone of growth.
The new data privacy bill is also schedule for a final version by the next session of the Parliament. This might change a lot of things behind the scenes. We should look at it from the angle of 5G.
Dear Sir It is an excellent eye opening blog. So nicely explained. I am reminded of what GB Shaw said “if science can solve one problem, it can create 10 new ones”. In the name of speed of data, we do not know what all we will loose. As you rightly brought out sovereignty of the country is at stake. but how de we educated the educated illiterates. We care a damn about the secrecy of data, importance of information that we transact on our mobiles and Internets. I may sound a bit out of tune , but if we can do majority of the activities on 4G without compromising vital info we must continue in that. Or as you suggested we should get back to basics of writing letters and meeting people in person on vital issues. If 5G inevitable, use it for routine applications of entertainment and unimportant video and data transactions. Use secure and safe methods for vital activities of national importance and important business applications.
It is my appeal to all be informed about the impending danger of using 5G. Let us all take every precaution that is mandatory. Thank you once again sir for an informative and easy to understand article.
Pranam sir, Namaskaram! Thank you for the very timely article and also the caution to our generation . I am currently editing a book which deals with digital addiction and I found the effects of digital devices in numbing down the senses and destroying relationships and interpersonal interactions to be appallingly similar to the effects of adverse drug addiction.
10 years ago I never thought digital addiction was such a serious issue that would require group counselling in organisations. But now time has made me eat and digest my own words
While the prospects of 5G technology grim, there is hope that the master of the web-maya will find a more efficient way to manifest his Leela in the world through this advancement
Your advice to us youth to turn to the ancient Indian teachings of gaining mastery over mind and senses will prove to be golden to hack our way out of the alluring digital intoxication sir. Pranam sir!
Shri Arun Tiwari ji, I appreciate your views on 5G technology. Now the point you have raised are genuine and in keeping with the pace of time 5G technology is of immense use and should be considered for introduction making best use of AI. But few genuine concerns about it. In our country Cyber security is very poor. Penetration to seek sensitive info by unfriendly people and Nations can cause havoc. Its true that China is far ahead and due to closed undemocratic system they have fool proof security; on the contrary technology developed by US has been stolen and used by China. Routers used in India are mostly developed by China and it’s a weak point in cyber security. India unless develops a fool proof cyber security system we should refrain from jumping to introduce 5G technology in our communications system …
Prof Tiwari has hit the nail on the head with this article. Yes, we are today in a fast paced technology world where everything seems to be changing so fast that neither do we know well enough what we are using in technology nor do we try to understand what needs to be used today effectively. The whole wheel is now revolving at a speed where most of us feel that unless you adapt yourself to these changes quick enough you will be left out.
5G will bring about a digital transformation with delivery of lot more data in far less time and therefore will find significant usage in disciplines like healthcare and many others. This availability of data will be the ideal feeder for deep machine learning programs to be developed paving the way for effective usage of AI in healthcare. However, one has to assess the effectiveness of these technologies not only with patient centred outcomes like mortality and morbidity but also with the quality of life that they will follow. Finally we have to be careful that while change in terms of technology is imminent, the disparity of these technologies to the actual usage in the much needed sectors at an affordable level still remains significantly unaddressed. Like, Prof Tiwari has ended this article, I always cherish the discussions with him about fundamentals and derivatives and unless fundamentally we nurture and change back to the basic ethics and values in life, we will be working in an era of derivatives which will consume us and drain us faster than ever before.
Sir, thank you for putting in light a very serious issue which is not going to spare anyone. The 5G networks will be highly based on software and risks related to major security flaws, such as those deriving from poor software development processes, will be used to crash the old systems so that new ones can be sold. The 5G data pipe will be big enough for threat actors to maliciously insert their products in your system and know all about your work in real time. It is a pity that we are only talking about choosing U.S, over China. Indian technology companies have indeed failed the Indian people. They remain commission agents and distributors of foreign products, putting Make in India only for tax management.
As they say the only possible solution to be secured in such a scenario is to stop using Internet technology altogether . We all know this ain’t possible. Apart from this, the new 5G network, as the Pundits forsee may cause harmful health effects too, due to high radio frequency radiations. Your blog on 5G brings out the most veracious facts which are otherwise brushed under the carpet by various mouse potatoes and cyber junkies.
Thanks Arun Tiwariji for taking another very important topic. Being from tech field and based on experience aross years of adoption of technology, staying behind on technology front may eventually do more harm and slow us down as a nation in many ways while blind adoption without right checks & balances may comprise not just individual user data but our country’s knowledge graph as a whole.
Some critical points to think about are –
* With whom do we collaborate for technology? Countries like China, as you have rightly mentioned, can completely bring you down to your knees taking dependency on them.
* How much do we adopt from others vs develop indegineously?
* How much are we investing into research to lead the way rather than just build indeginously on whats existing elsewhere?
* How do we make companies and countries liable for Data Privacy, Compliance & Security?
* How we educate and protect key institutions on concepts of Privacy & Security and ensure no Indian customer data ever leaves the country without explicit consent.
and many more such questions need to be thought of.
Sir, Thanks for reflecting on another relevant story. It makes one draw a parallel with our colonial past. The British would habituate people with some products they monopolize at a cheaper rate initially and then make them pay through their nose afterwards.
Cheaper rates, even for some time, have created a lot of mobile-friendly masses. Why can’t the higher rates compensate for making all government internet services free on the net? Let the government pay in case the business case of the private players so demand. BSNL should not have pushed to a close down; its absence means the creation of a cartel. The private players’ sole motivation is to make a quick profit, and it also seems to suit the political elite.
R&D and knowledge economy demand going ahead, let us not miss on the 5-G bus, probably BSNL could have been instrumental in taking it forward.
Prof. Tiwari can write on anything. In my view you can not control advancement of technology. You have to be ready to accept it and have safeguards for it. Kodak, Xerox, etc. went down at they thought they are invincible and they know better. If 5G is there it will come…in one form or the other…or you will be left behind.
The biggest problem right now is to run even 4G properly. Telecom companies are in deep s__t. Thanks to negative work culture in bureaucracy. No senior bureaucrat wants to take out-of-box decision and face prosecution 10 years after retirement. We need robust telecom and fair competition to remain relevant in cutting edge technology.
Another timely and important topic Prof. Tiwari! Vladimir Putin once said “the nation that leads in AI will rule the world”. That’s quite the statement and a scary one at that given China’s ambitions in AI! 5G will be very expensive to deploy as the towers must be much closer together. So it’s questionable when it will be mainstream. But for certain, 5G will provide significant amount of data for AI to process. The challenge we face as a human race is whether we can develop technologies and systems to minimize the dangerous events that AI will bring.
A very relevant article….Technology was supposed to be serving mankind, but with time, man has become subservient to technology. Whatever agenda any superpower may have vis-a-vis the development of tech, eventually it comes down to the individual.
True…Tech has its benefits, but if left unchecked, it proves to be seriously menacing to the point of addiction. So much so that people feel handicapped without a cell phone or a digital device at their disposal. Just a few weeks back, a boy hacked his father to death when he refused to pay for his air time.
In such a scenario, the concluding lines of the last para gain optimum significance: “It is important to return to the basics. None of us can escape 5G (read Tech) taking over the world, but we can always refuse to be snared into it. Start forming habits of not keeping your mobile phone with you always, not talking to people over the phone but meeting them in person, writing letters by hand and above all, knowing your feelings, before machines take over and decide how you should feel.”
People need to understand that we still have a choice. We can choose not to be caught in the gizmo bandwagon. Most importantly, as mentioned, returning to the basics holds the key. A classic example are the AMISH people. The Amish lead very simple lives. They thrive as a community and interaction is mostly very personal. Despite the availability of modern gadgets, they CHOSE to live without as much of technological interference as possible. Following an Agrarian economy, which is very much localized, they generate all their resources through the land they work on. They avoid equipment like tractors and shredders. Nearly all of the work is done manually, so much so that every member is employed. Though some of the Amish are now using tech, but still the majority of them try to be as minimalist as possible. Materialist pursuit is looked down upon since fundamentally, their entire community is rooted in deep Faith and this is a very BIG Clue to their prosperity.
Having a Faith helps one gain discernment in understanding what is of value and what isn’t. 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G…arre kitna daudo ge….the race is endless. Take a pause.
Way back, my guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj had said for the television…Doordarshan na darshan door thij karva…in short keep technology at an arm’s length. Employ technology, but don’t get employed by it.
Once again, thank you Tiwari sir for regularly posting such relevant articles…they are indeed thought provoking and very insightful…Jai Swaminarayan!!!!
With the advancement of the technology long distance communication become easy. The biggest drawback of telecommunication is people are in touch but hesitate share their feeling. Twenty years ago having a cellphone was a big thing but today it’s very comman.
Companies tend to give freebies to their customers to make them addict. Reliance Jio 4G is the biggest example. Firstly they change the habit of their users almost free now they are charging fir their addiction. One of biggest issue of technology is privacy. There are numerous occasions when privacy issue has been raised at various platforms. One can witness how your cellphone predict what you want to type. It’s all happening because of AI. With the introduction of 5G privacy would be biggest concern. Because with the help of AI it would be very easy predict where are you, what are doing and what are your future plan.
Thanks sir for enlighting pros and cons of 5th generation technology.
It is true that advancement in technology attracts everybody. Even if there are hazards behind it, people at least prefer to use it once for the sake of experience and thrill. The most negative aspect of higher technology is that superficial aspects of life become popular but the true values, experiences and the depth of time tested cultural aspects of human life vanish somewhere in the background. People are not able to differentiate between the truth and falsehood. As a result, there comes an environment of confusion. People know lot of things about everywhere but they do know the direction which will make them happy and take the mankind to real path of progress and balanced shared happiness. The greatest threat is from politicians who always aim at squeezing the common man for their personal gains and power as also using the technology as a tool to control the masses and ignoring their aspirations and expectations. The most dangerous aspect is large scale manipulations in the name of technology wherein the worst facts are never allowed to come to the surface. The derogatory actions are presented as achievements. Under such conditions, common man should cautiously use the features of such a technology as applicable to his personal life and not for public exposure. The honesty, sincerity and commitment of people in power towards the common man is the first requirement and pre-requisite for adopting any new technology?
Respected Sir, Jay Swaminarayan. It was really a marvellous reading your thoughts with such a great information about the current status of our time.
Dear Sir, Everything has its pros and cons. I personally feel that technologies like this will bring transparency in human behaviour. People will be traced by the system in a more convenient way for their bad deeds. Although there are fair chances of misuse of personal information saved in mobile or on cloud server like WhatsApp.
But if we succeeds in saving our personal information or photos on a device which is not connected to Internet or not updating our activities on Internet every now and then or not doing online purchasing every time etc. etc. then we could be benefited more.
Here, in future, it is suggested that we should be more social physically than through social media. Choice is always in our hand.
Sir, you once told us in a class there are “no free lunches in the world”. You told us that the “free lunch” in the saying refers to the 19th-century practice in American bars of offering a “free lunch” in order to entice drinking customers. Free 5G is not only going to strip the user whatever little privacy is left, but also from the data fed into AI systems, manipulation of future will be seen as “normal”. Even now with 4G, when I type a word in my mail, related ad starts appearing in the sidebar almost instantly. With 5G the reply to my mail also would be doctored. Life is going to be a “fixed match”. We are being subjugated without bloodshed.
In 1900 Brooks Adams said that nation states were behaving more and more like huge corporations in competition. Today nation states frequently are huge corporations in competition. This is especially true in sectors such as telecom that are related to sovereignty. And with regard to China there is no doubt that companies in the 5G aera such as ZTE and Huawei, ostensibly private enterprises, are for all practical purposes part of the government of China, which has made available to them an unlimited checkbook. As Deep Joshi so wisely suggests, the United States and India should establish a long-term India – U.S. technology partnership to jointly develop 5G in the best interests of both countries. They share a common adversary in this area, which is China-an Orwellian surveillance society. But we need to go far beyond that. The time has come for the United States to enter into a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with India,, which would encompass free trade in goods, services, and capital. There is a trade off to be made here. In return for freer access to the market of India for U.S. goods, the United States should provide greater access on visas for Indians so talented and needed in the areas of software and information technology. There is a definite trade-off to be made between goods and services. This FTA should be part of the rebalancing of U.S. interests in Asia, which should go far beyond military alliances and defense partnerships. Washington makes a mistake by standing apart from Asia. It needs to complete its pivot to Asia. Having turned its back on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2017, the United States needs to get back in the game in Asia through a bilateral FTA with India. Discussions on a trade agreement are under way between the United States and Japan, the USMCA will soon be formalized, and a Phase One deal between China and the United States should be signed in January. As an interim step the United States needs to accord full GSP treatment for India, but the United States needs to go far beyond that to make India a true strategic partner in Asia.
Sir, The Indian mentality of grabbing anything free have already done great harm to the country. A telecom company so cleverly played this free game on 4G and now start billing people. Same game will be repeated for 5G. But this time it will be very dangerous as you very rightly pointed out. Our bank accounts, what we earn, how much loan do we have, our insurance, everything is already known to market. The next would be our manipulation by the 5G dat feeding AI engines.
Sir, you have aptly raised the security issues involved with 5G technology. Prima Facie, we can’t handover our Telecom to China and their Indian industry partners, who see only bottom lines in whatever they do. It is time to establish long-term India-U.S technology partnership. Our best of the people are working for the American companies and reached top positions. I am indeed perplexed what stops us in being the regular U.S. technology and trade partner. There is another term called Top line, which to me is the national sovereignty, which is now tied up with technology. In telecom, India shamelessly missed all the buses. Let us on not ride the bus, that would take the nation to China.
Seems to be a scary scenario, wherein people’s privacy will be highly compromised. I hope people have better sense and are cautioned so as not to fall into the 5G trap. Thank you for this enlightening write up about 5G.