The telecom sector has requested the government to make additional airwaves accessible so that 5G and 6G services can be delivered smoothly. “Each telco needs around 2 GHz in mid-band for 5G/6G use by 2030,” SP Kochhar, director general of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)

 

The best suited spectrum for 5G and 6G is mid-band, and if the requirement can be met through c-band (3.3-4.2 GHz), which is part of mid-band, it is good, but since a good quantum of spectrum is currently being used by defence and other purposes, and the likelihood of getting the airwaves is bleak, the entire 6 GHz spectrum can be utilised for international mobile telecommunication (IMT) or mobility, as per economic times. 

 

“When it comes to 5G/6G, 6 GHz is most suited, as it has the same characteristics as that of 5G spectrum auctioned last year in the 3.3 GHz band,” Kochhar said.

 

Mid-band airwaves are those that range between 1GHz and 6GHz. Currently, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies have been delicensed and are being used for WiFi, while the 6 GHz frequency is being identified. If the band is designated for IMT, telcos can bid on it to meet their 5G/6G demands. However, the IT industry wants the frequency delicensed for WiFi use.

 

Telecom businesses, on the other hand, argue that if the band or a portion of it is delicensed, telcos would suffer because there will be insufficient spectrum to satisfy their connection demands, especially as 5G matures and 6G is pushed out.

 

“With carrier aggregation, the same set of frequencies can be used for 5G/6G,” Kochhar said. “Giving 6 GHz band for IMT will provide a good quantum of airwaves to telcos to meet their needs.”