Communication infrastructure
Also called: Telecom infrastructure · Topic: Infrastructure: Transport, Communications and Energy · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 7 "Physical Infrastructure"
Meaning
Communication infrastructure is the physical network that carries messages, images and videos from one place to another. It includes cables, wireless devices, towers, satellites and data centres. It supports online classes, disaster alerts by SMS, e-commerce, online payments and e-governance, which means government services delivered digitally. Together these make life easier for citizens.
Example
In NCERT's Class 7 story, Rani sends a voice note from her village in Madhya Pradesh to her cousin in Tamil Nadu. The village tower runs on electricity, fibre cables carry the signal, satellites relay it and distant servers process it before it reaches her cousin's phone. By 2025, India had 1,160 million wireless subscribers and nearly 900 million internet connections.
Don't confuse with
- Digital public infrastructure: Digital public infrastructure means shared digital platforms such as UPI and Aadhaar. Communication infrastructure is the physical network of cables, towers and satellites that these platforms run on.