Shillong, February 16 The Centre has set up a 5G laboratory at the National Institute of Technology in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, as part of a nationwide initiative by the Department of Telecommunications to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem, officials said on Monday.
This will establish eight such laboratories across the northeastern region to accelerate next-generation telecom technologies, according to an official statement.
The labs will provide students and researchers hands-on experience with advanced systems such as 5G networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), edge computing, and other emerging digital applications.
The lab is expected to play a key role in skill development, research, and the creation of solutions tailored to the region's needs, it added.
The initiative aligns with the Centre's Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, focusing on building domestic capabilities in next-generation communication technologies and enhancing youth participation in advanced research, the statement added.
The applications developed through these labs are expected to support sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, smart infrastructure, and disaster management, which are considered critical for the region's development.
Officials added that the lab at NIT Meghalaya is likely to encourage collaboration between academia and industry, enabling experimentation with real-world 5G applications and fostering innovation-driven growth in the state.
