Why COAI Is Opposing the Delicensing of Spectrum within the 6GHz Band

Telecom business 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 Thought, and many others — has requested the Division of Telecom to incorporate the 6 gigahertz spectrum within the public sale and assist its allocation for cellular telecommunication on the international stage.

COAI stated that the 6 GHz band is the one extra contiguous spectrum accessible in mid-band for IMT (Worldwide Cell Telecommunications), past what has already been put up in public sale.

“Therefore, it will be significant for future progress of 5G and past applied sciences, together with the roadmap for 6G introduction in India. This spectrum can be essential as India companies up an motion plan for Bharat 6G. Delicensing this essential chunk of spectrum will significantly hamper the deployment of 5G+ and 6G In India,” COAI Director Basic SP Kochhar stated within the letter.

The business physique has cautioned the division that heeding the demand of Wifi service suppliers to make the 6 GHz band freely accessible will result in income loss to the federal government.

“We perceive that some business physique(ies) have approached your good workplace, demanding that this band be delicensed for selling Wifi companies within the nation. We imagine that this spectrum may be utilised way more effectively for the advantage of the nation and our residents by augmenting 5G companies in India,” Kochhar stated.

The DoT had delicensed or made the 600 megahertz of spectrum freely accessible within the 5 GHz band in 2018.

COAI stated that delicensed 255 MHz within the 600 Mhz spectrum is totally unutilised within the absence of system ecosystem assist.

“We imagine that not utilizing the accessible spectrum optimally and demanding extra spectrum on prime of that will result in waste of such a scarce accessible useful useful resource,” Kochhar stated.

In keeping with the business physique’s letter, the highest pace of Wifi will stay the identical in 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands at 9.6 gigabits per second, which won’t result in any actual worth addition for end-consumers.

The COAI DG stated that any delicensing of 6 GHz or half thereof will scale 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.

“For example, 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 massive potential implication of the choice on licensing or de-licensing the 1200 MHz spectrum (of 6 GHz band) to the federal government exchequer,” Kocchar stated.

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 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 additional choice on inclusion of the decrease a part of the band, i.e. 5925-6425 MHz in IMT. The above choice will go a great distance in creating certainty round crucial spectrum required for 5G/IMT applied sciences and can clear the trail for public sale of this spectrum,” Kochhar stated. 

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