The Vaccine Conundrum

Just as a new COVID strain ravages Europe, the Indian drug regulator has approved two vaccine candidates for use in differing capacities. One is based on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, called Covishield. The second vaccine, Covaxin has been developed by homegrown company Bharat Biotech in association with ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research).

The tortoise doesn't win here

We might have come across reports about 5G rollout in "developed" countries in recent times. Popular YouTubers have also given their takes on the mind blowing speeds (albeit limited coverage) on mobile data using 5G technology. Notably, Qualcomm, Nokia and Ericsson already have 5G equipment up and running in multiple parts of the world and leading consumer electronic companies like Apple, Samsung and OnePlus have launched mobile phones that support this advancement.

Telecom giants in India like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have also promised roll outs of the cutting edge technology in different phases in 2021. Now, in sharp contrast to these developments is the recent announcement from the state run telecom enterprise- BSNL.