NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendations on terahertz (THz) spectrum will be crucial in positioning India as a global research and development hub for sixth generation, or 6G, technology, Broadband India Fortum (BIF) said on Thursday.
6G technology, expected to be commercially available by 2030, will make extensive use of THz radio waves for use cases and applications.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday recommended setting up of a new experimental authorisation for operations in the terahertz band (95GHz-3THz frequency band) to facilitate research and development, technology testing and indoor and outdoor trials by Indian companies.
The telecom regulator has also recommended allowing licensed and quota-exempt operations in India in the frequency bands 116-123 GHz, 174.8-182 GHz, 185-190 GHz and 244-246 GHz.
The approval will be for a period of five years and the fee will be Rs 1,000, the regulator said.
The technology industry body said these recommendations, coupled with the regulator’s views on regulatory sandboxes, demonstrate TRAI’s “intent to encourage entrepreneurs, innovators and academia to develop innovative new technologies and services” and will help experimenters evaluate the performance of products at the concept, design and development stages, paving the way for ascertaining the technical feasibility of technologies and services built on the THz spectrum.
“TRAI is laying the foundation for India to become a global powerhouse in terms of both testing and research and development so that it is ready to create cutting edge technologies and services in the near future,” BIF Chairman TV Ramachandran said.
The telecom regulator also recommended opening up the 77-81 GHz frequency range for licensed and quota-exempt operation of automotive radar systems in India.
“This is also a pioneering effort by the authority to enhance road safety,” the BIF said in a statement.