5G Will Trigger 18% More Hiring In Telecom Sector; But Most Of The Jobs Will Be Contractual

The upcoming rollout of 5G in India could help boost hiring in the telecom sector.

Contractual staffing could see a spike in the next 2 years and will be a significant component of telecom hiring.

The predictions were put forward by TeamLease which is an HR firm providing solutions to employers dealing with hiring, productivity and scale challenges.
DoT Approves Plans For 5G Trials
The Department of Telecom (DoT) has approved applications from Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, C-DOT which would allow them to conduct 5G trials.

The trials will take place over 6 months including 2 months dedicated to equipment procurement and setup.

The approvals have been made on the condition that trials have to be conducted not just in urban but also rural and semi-urban areas.

This is to ensure that those in non-urban regions also benefit from 5G technology.

Telecom Hiring Unaffected By Pandemic
Deval Singh, Business Head- Telecom, IT and ITES, Media and Government, TeamLease Services, said that there is a positive outlook for contractual hiring in telecom despite uncertainties brought about by the pandemic’s unrelenting second wave.

He said that telecom hiring, which the staffing industry considers to be one of the biggest markets, maintained growth throughout the pandemic and expects the momentum to continue this year.

Singh acknowledged the ambiguity amidst the second wave and the uncertainty of the shape the growth will take.

But there will be an impact for sure which will be seen in the next 2 years, and a positive impact at that.

Hiring Optimism And Demand For Top Roles
Especially as 5G is just around the corner, the economy and labour market will have reasons to celebrate.

The demand for talent in the industry is expected to see an 18% growth as per TeamLease.

The top positions in demand include technicians, installation engineers, civil engineers and project managers.

Even in 2020 there was strong demand for contractors given the surge in those working from home and the ensuing spike in usage of high speed data that telcos provide.

Telecom services were also classed in the ‘Essential Services’ category during lockdowns.

2020 saw 50% more hiring than in 2019.

India Ready For 5G
Ericsson estimates 40 million users in India to avail 5G in the first year of its launch.

It reported in its ConsumerLab report that consumers are willing to pay 50% more for 5G plans if bundled with digital services.

However for just 5G connectivity they would be open to paying only 10% more.