Telecom trade physique COAI has cautioned the telecom division that delicensing spectrum in the 6 Ghz band will hamper roll-out of 5G advance and 6G companies in the nation.
In a letter dated August 10 to Department of Telecom Secretary Apurva Chandra, the Cellular Operators Association of India, whose members embrace Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea, requested the Department of Telecom to embrace the 6 gigahertz spectrum in the public sale and help its allocation for cell telecommunication on the international degree.
COAI mentioned that the 6 GHz band was the one further contiguous spectrum out there in mid-band for IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications), past what had already been put up in public sale.
“Hence, it is important for future growth of 5G and beyond technologies, including the roadmap for 6G introduction in India. This spectrum will be crucial as India firms up an action plan for Bharat 6G. Delicensing this important chunk of spectrum will seriously hamper the deployment of 5G+ and 6G In India,” COAI Director General S.P. Kochhar mentioned in the letter.
The trade physique cautioned the division that heeding the demand of Wifi service suppliers to make the 6 GHz band freely out there would lead to loss of income to the federal government.
“We understand that some industry bodies have approached your good office, demanding that this band be delicensed for promoting Wifi services in the country. We believe that this spectrum can be utilised far more efficiently for the benefit of the nation and our citizens by augmenting 5G services in India,” Mr. Kochhar mentioned.
The DoT had delicensed or made the 600 megahertz of spectrum freely out there in the 5 GHz band in 2018.
COAI mentioned that delicensed 255 MHz in the 600 Mhz spectrum was fully unutilised in the absence of system ecosystem help.
“We believe that not using the available spectrum optimally and demanding more spectrum on top of that would lead to waste of such a scarce available valuable resource,” Mr. Kochhar mentioned.
According to 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 won’t lead to any actual worth addition for end-consumers.
The COAI DG mentioned that any delicensing of 6 GHz or half thereof would scale back the spectrum for 5G and thereby restrict the expansion of 5G and 6G, which might be the primary drivers of broadband in the nation.
“For instance, the recent mid-band (C band) spectrum auctions of 2022 in India have derived a sale value of ₹317 crore per MHz. This clearly indicates the huge potential implication of the decision on licensing or de-licensing the 1,200 MHz spectrum (of 6 GHz band) to the government exchequer,” Mr. Kocchar mentioned.
COAI has requested the DoT and Wireless 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 cell telecommunications in the Asia Pacific Telecommunity Conference Preparatory Group for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023.
The convention is organised by a UN physique International Telecommunications Union to resolve 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 further decision on inclusion of the lower part of the band, i.e. 5925-6425 MHz in IMT. The above decision will go a long way in creating certainty around critical spectrum required for 5G/IMT technologies and will clear the path for auction of this spectrum,” Mr. Kochhar mentioned.
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