Reliance Jio to TRAI to ET Telecom

NEW DELHI: India’s top telco Reliance Jio has announced that it has secured the complete 6GHz spectrum i.e. 5925MHz to 7125MHz to ensure each operator has adequate spectrum for 5G and deploy 6G services. We requested the government to allocate it to IMT (mobility) services. The association said the auction route was “the only legally sustainable and technically viable frequency allocation method” for commercial use. “Since the 6 GHz band is the only mid-band spectrum available for IMT services, the entire 6 GHz (1200 MHz, or 5925 to 7125 MHz) band is available for IMT, with approximately 300 MHz to 400 MHz available to each TSP. It will contribute to the growth of 5G and the introduction of 6G services,” Jio said in a rebuttal to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) consultation paper on ‘Digital Transformation through 5G Ecosystem’. I did.

Jio said the use of the spectrum “does not meet the criteria for managed allocation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and has been notified pending fixation of a specified date, and there is no provision for license-exempt use in the Act. ” he said.

“…all requests for license-free use of spectrum bands, which are in fact aimed at accessing the spectrum without going through the licensing process and without paying the market price for the spectrum, should be rejected in the first place. should be done,” Mr. Geo said.

Rival Bharti Airtel had not yet submitted a counter-comment at the time of writing, while Vodafone Idea did not say anything about spectrum and allocation in the 6GHz band in its counter-comment.

In contrast, technology companies represented by the Broadband India Forum (BIF) have reiterated their position that they will license and allocate the mid-band spectrum, which is critical to the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi services in India, without an auction. ing.

In its dissenting comments, Jio said internet access services can be provided through Wi-Fi technology or the 5G New Radio Unlicensed (NRU) network built on the same unlicensed spectrum.

The country’s top telco said spectrum delicensing would “not only result in cost arbitrage between carriers providing services in the licensed spectrum and other carriers, but also a significant cost to the Treasury.” “It will result in significant losses,” he said.

“It is submitted that the pending decision of the specified date notified under the new Telecommunications Act, 2023 does not prescribe any criteria for delicensing and is therefore not legally sound,” Jio said.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), in a letter dated December 13, 2023 to Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnau, said that the government’s failure to identify the 6GHz frequency range for mobile services is in India’s interest. He said it would harm ecosystem development around the world.

The London-based GSMA took a similar view, saying in a separate but identical letter to Vaishnau that more mid-band spectrum is needed for India to continue its strong start to 5G. He said research shows that it is necessary.

In a letter to Mr. Vaishnow dated December 12, 2023, GSMA Director-General Mats Granrid said, “If India is to take its rightful place as the world’s leading supplier of advanced technologies, is also essential to achieving the Bharat 6G vision.” Communications technologies and solutions that benefit the world at affordable prices. ”

This was the fifth letter in two years by the GSMA, which represents around 800 communications service providers around the world.

Jio said countries that have delicensed the entire 6GHz band for Wi-Fi services are currently making decisions while the majority of the band (i.e. 6.425GHz to 7.025GHz) is being considered for IMT in WRC-23. He said he was facing difficulties in overturning the law. Additionally, the already delicensed spectrum above 800MHz is not fully utilized anywhere, and the demand for additional delicensing “needs to be considered in light of the availability of this huge unused spectrum.” There is,” he added.

“…Public Wi-Fi, even without full mobility and only hotspot coverage, is a broadband service that directly competes with and can replace 5G and therefore must be licensed under the “same service, same rules” principle. should be provided only through the designated frequency bands. ” said Geo.

In December 2023, the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) will open up 100 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for mobility services around the world, with the upper 6 GHz band available for IMT (mobility services) in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Certified.