NEW DELHI: India’s spectrum gap to effectively expand fifth generation or 5G mobile networks will be met by the critical 6 GHz frequency band, according to an industry body.
“Unfortunately, we only had 800 MHz available in the last auction, which means we are missing 1,200 MHz. If we need to effectively deploy 5G in the mid-band, we will need 6 GHz range to 1200 MHz. By extracting megahertz and giving it to IMT (mobility services), the spectrum requirement is fully met,” Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said in an interview with ETTelecom.
The Delhi-based industry body represents incumbent telecom companies Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi).
While Jio and Airtel have almost completed the pan-India rollout of their 5G networks, Vi is yet to commercially launch its 5G services.
Kochhar said there is a mismatch between the amount of spectrum available to telcos and the geographic areas they must cover with their 5G networks.
“We’re not getting the right kind of spectrum. 5G deployments are happening primarily in the 3.3 to 3.6 gigahertz range, and if we want to optimally deploy 5G, we’ll need 2 gigahertz. ” he added.
The CEO said that sixth generation (6G) mobile networks are expected to have higher frequency requirements, and urged the government to plan the frequency pipeline according to projected demand.
“Governments need to look to the future and see what the anticipated requirements are, rather than getting distracted by areas where IMT is not progressing as expected,” he said.
He also slammed the demand for mid-band 6GHz airwaves from technology companies to popularize Wi-Fi services in the country.
“Technology companies are demanding 6 gigahertz for Wi-Fi, but ask them if they can take advantage of bands that are already unlicensed. So why would they want more? In the future, the capabilities that 5G can offer will be on par with Wi-Fi… IMT should be the priority,” said Kochhar.
Kochhar’s comments come at a time when the government plans to sell airwaves in eight major bands worth Rs 96,317.65 crore.
The next auction scheduled for May 20th will sell 5G radio waves in the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, 2500MHz, 3300MHz, and 26GHz bands.
The Center made a profit of nearly Rs 1,500 crore from India’s first 5G spectrum sale in 2022. The government has auctioned off 72,098 MHz of spectrum, of which 51,236 MHz, or 71% of the total, was sold to telecom companies Jio, Airtel and Vi. , and Adani Data Networks – a division of the Adani Group conglomerate.
