The 5G Use Cases Lab at IIST is established under the “100 5G Use Cases Labs Initiative” of the Government of India, aimed at strengthening the country’s capabilities in 5G technology and its emerging applications. The lab was formally handed over to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, during the inauguration of the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 in New Delhi. The initiative seeks to promote skill development, research, innovation, and practical exposure in 5G and beyond-5G technologies among students, faculty members, researchers, and the startup ecosystem. The 5G Use Cases Labs initiative is overseen by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India.

The 5G Use Case Lab at IIST, Trivandrum, has cumulatively engaged  students and  faculty members, with different projects undertaken. The lab has also supported start-ups and  MSMEs, while its outreach activities have covered  colleges/academic institutes and  companies. The lab has also contributed international journal papers, developed products/solutions/use cases, and generated  IP outcomes. 

The 5G Use Cases Lab is equipped with a Standalone (SA) cellular infrastructure, 5G SIMs, dongles, IoT gateways, routers, application servers, and a centralized management dashboard. The lab also provides a compact 5G network environment along with dedicated use-case development and testing platforms, including drones and AR/VR test kits. These facilities enable the development, validation, and demonstration of innovative 5G applications across diverse sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and other emerging domains. Further, the lab provides students with hands-on exposure to real-world 5G infrastructure and applications, complementing theoretical knowledge with practical experience in areas such as 5G network deployment and management, IoT, edge computing, data management, and AR/VR technologies.