Telecom trade physique COAI has cautioned the telecom division that delicensing spectrum within the 6 Ghz band will hamper roll out of 5G advance and 6G companies within the nation.
In a letter dated August 10 to Division of Telecom Secratory Apurva Chandra, the Mobile Operators Affiliation of India — whose members embody Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Concept, and so forth — has requested the Division of Telecom to incorporate the 6 gigahertz spectrum within the public sale and help its allocation for cellular telecommunication on the world degree.
COAI mentioned that the 6 GHz band is the one further contiguous spectrum out there in mid-band for IMT (Worldwide Cellular Telecommunications), past what has already been put up in public sale.
“Therefore, it can be crucial for future development of 5G and past applied sciences, together with the roadmap for 6G introduction in India. This spectrum shall be essential as India corporations up an motion plan for Bharat 6G. Delicensing this essential chunk of spectrum will critically hamper the deployment of 5G+ and 6G In India,” COAI Director Common SP Kochhar mentioned within the letter.
The trade physique has cautioned the division that heeding the demand of Wifi service suppliers to make the 6 GHz band freely out there will result in income loss to the federal government.
“We perceive that some trade physique(ies) have approached your good workplace, demanding that this band be delicensed for selling Wifi companies within the nation. We consider that this spectrum will be utilised much more effectively for the good thing about the nation and our residents by augmenting 5G companies in India,” Kochhar mentioned.
The DoT had delicensed or made the 600 megahertz of spectrum freely out there within the 5 GHz band in 2018.
COAI mentioned that delicensed 255 MHz within the 600 Mhz spectrum is totally unutilised within the absence of system ecosystem help.
“We consider that not utilizing the out there spectrum optimally and demanding extra spectrum on prime of that may result in waste of such a scarce out there invaluable useful resource,” Kochhar mentioned.
Based on the trade physique’s letter, the highest velocity of Wifi will stay the identical in 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands at 9.6 gigabits per second, which is not going to result in any actual worth addition for end-consumers.
The COAI DG mentioned that any delicensing of 6 GHz or half thereof will cut back the spectrum for 5G and thereby restrict the expansion of 5G and 6G, which might be the principle drivers of broadband within the nation.
“As an illustration, the current mid-band (C band) spectrum auctions of 2022 in India have derived a sale worth of Rs 317 crore per MHz. This clearly signifies the large potential implication of the choice on licensing or de-licensing the 1200 MHz spectrum (of 6 GHz band) to the federal government exchequer,” Kocchar mentioned.
COAI has requested the DoT and Wi-fi Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC) to proceed supporting the higher a part of the 6 GHz band, which is a frequency vary between 6425-7125 MHz for cellular telecommunications within the Asia Pacific Telecommunity Convention Preparatory Group for World Radiocommunication Convention 2023.
The convention is organised by a UN physique Worldwide Telecommunications Union to determine on spectrum use in varied bands.
The sixth assembly of the APG began on Monday and can proceed until August 19.
“DoT to kindly take additional determination on inclusion of the decrease a part of the band, i.e. 5925-6425 MHz in IMT. The above determination will go a great distance in creating certainty round important spectrum required for 5G/IMT applied sciences and can clear the trail for public sale of this spectrum,” Kochhar mentioned.Â
