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On Thursday, DoT allotted more spectrum for 5G trials in the 700 Mhz, 3.5 Ghz and 26 Ghz bands.
More Spectrum for 5G Trials Allocated to Telcos
This move will allow Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to pair with non-Chinese vendors and develop use cases.
The announcement came late on Thursday as DoT’s wireless planning & coordination (WPC) wing alloted 100, 800 and 10 units of 5G spectrum to the telcos in the 3.5 Ghz, 26 Ghz and 700 Mhz bands respectively. The allocation will have the same validity, that is, 6 months. Earlier in May, DoT gave 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.
This is the first time the telecom department has allocated spectrum in the 26 Ghz millimeter wave, also known as mmWave band. In the past, telcos have reiterated the importance of this band in the 5G rollout in India. The telcos had said that without mmWaves, 5G deployment costs could jump manifold, making services unaffordable.
However, the government has only reserved mid-band spectrum in the 3.3-3.6 Ghz bands for 5G.
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have been sounding their readiness for 5G over the last month or so. This allotment can prove to be vital as this will allow them to develop use cases fast. Both the telcos already have crucial airwaves required for 5G, such as in the 800 MHz band.
Industry executives said that this move will also go a long way towards the inclusion of the mmWave band and mid-band 5G spectrum in the updated National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP-2021). NFAP-2021 is a key spectrum policy document and right now is under updation by the DoT. DoT has not yet scheduled a 5G Spectrum Auction. However, it is looking more likely that the sale will happen sometime in 2022.
DoT is looking set to go back to TRAI for new base prices for all spectrum cleared for 5G trials. These include 26 Ghz, 3.3-3.67 Ghz and 700 Mhz. This is a very important move in the run up to the next auction as TRAI could slash the earlier base prices of the premium-sub-Ghz 700 Mhz as well as mid-band 5G spectrum.