DoT Assigns 5G trial spectrum, Makes Way for Use Cases Development

DoT assigns 5G trial spectrum in the 700 Mhz, 3.5 Ghz and 26 Ghz bands, paving the way for Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) to associate with non-Chinese network vendors and develop India-relevant use cases on the next-gen fast wireless broadband technology.

The DoT’s wireless planning & coordination (WPC) wing late Thursday evening assigned “100, 800 and 10 units of experimental 5G airwaves to the Big 3 telcos in the 3.5 Ghz, 26 Ghz and 700 Mhz bands respectively,” a senior telco executive told ET. The 5G trial airwaves have been allocated for six months, he added.

Allotment of 5G trial spectrum is particularly crucial for Jio and Airtel, who already have 5G-ready networks and have recently bulked up on crucial airwaves in the recent auction to cater to the surge in data usage amid Covid and also future-proof themselves ahead of 5G rollouts.

DoT’s decision also marks the first official allocation of 5G trial spectrum in the coveted 26 Ghz millimeter wave (mmWave) band that ranges from 24.25-to 28.5 Ghz frequencies. Telcos have repeatedly underlined the criticality of the 26 Ghz mmWave band for bolstering the 5G business case, without which deployment costs of fifth- generation fast wireless broadband networks could jump several-fold and make 5G services unaffordable to consumers in India.

Lately, DoT had said telcos would be given experimental airwaves in mid-band (3.2-3.67 Ghz), sub-Ghz (700 Mhz) and mmWave band (26 Ghz) to run 5G trials for six months. So far, only mid-band spectrum in the 3.3-3.6 Ghz bands have been earmarked by the government for 5G services. The department had also said that telcos would also be allowed to use their own airwaves in the 800 Mhz, 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz and 2500 Mhz bands to conduct 5G trials.

The Chinese network vendors, Huawei and ZTE were missing from the original list of applications from telcos that were approved by the government earlier this month, sending a clear signal that the two gear makers would not be part of India’s 5G deployments as well.

Industry executives said the latest allotment of experimental 5G airwaves is also set to pave the way for inclusion of the coveted 26 Ghz mmWave band and mid-band 5G spectrum (read: 3.3-3.67 Ghz) in the updated National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP-2021) -- a key spectrum policy document that is undergoing revision. This is aimed to emphasise the government’s plans to go for a comprehensive auction of multiple 5G bands. DoT is yet to schedule a 5G spectrum sale.

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