DoT Allocates Spectrum For 5G Trials To Telecom Service Providers

The Union government has begun the process of conducting 5G trials in the country by allotting airwaves to telecom service providers.

It is learnt that the Department of Telecom (DoT) has allocated spectrum to telecom operators to start 5G trials at locations including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, according to industry sources. The operators have been allocated spectrum in the 700 MHz, 3.3-3.6 GHz, and 24.25-28.5 GHz bands in various locations.

It is learnt that the telcos have been allocated 100 units in the 3.5 GHz band, 800 units in the 26 MHz millimetre wave, and 10 units in the premium 700 MHz band.

Chinese telecom gear makers have been kept out of the 5G trial list. After completing the trials, preparation for 5G spectrum auctions will begin.

According to sources, the telecom service providers can use their existing 4G spectrum for trials in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2300 MHz bands. The six-month period for conducting trials starts on the date of allotting the spectrum, i.e. May 27, 2021. “Usually after the trials get over, the data is submitted to the government and experts and soon after the vetting process ends, work on conducting the spectrum auctions begins,” Cellular Operators’ Associ­ation of India (COAI) Director General S P Kochhar said.

On May 4, the DoT had approved applications from Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and MTNL for conducting 5G trials without using technologies from Chinese firms.

The department had approved trials of 5G with Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, and C-DoT. In addition, Reliance Jio Infocomm will be doing trials using its own indigenous technology. The government said 5G technology is expected to deliver 10 times better download speed than 4G and up to three times greater spectrum efficiency.

During the trials, the application of 5G in Indian settings will get tested. This includes tele-medicine, tele-education, and drone-based agriculture monitoring. Telecom operators will be able to test various 5G devices on their network. The duration of the trials, at present, is six months. This includes two months for procuring and setting up the equipment.

The permission letters specify that each telecom service provider will have to conduct trials in rural and semi-urban settings in addition to urban settings so that the benefit of 5G technology spreads through the country and is not confined only to urban areas.

Airwaves in the E&V band have also been allocated for conducting trials. Spectrum in the E&V band can be utilised for both high-capacity access spectrum for voice and data services as well as backhaul link spectrum.

These spectrum bands are mostly used as backhaul, which means they connect the core of a telecom network to the towers to transmit data.

The industry has been pitching for auctioning these waves because both these airwaves will go hand-in-hand in ensuring a seamless 5G experience.

Meanwhile, according to reports, the much-awaited 5G spectrum auctions may be pushed to the next financial year, due to the ongoing second wave of Covid-19.

The process was earlier expected by the end of the current fiscal year. The 5G auctions may see some sort of rationalisation in the base price of airwaves to be offered, including the premium 700 MHz band, which went unsold again in the recently concluded auctions, after a price reduction of nearly 40 per cent from the previous auctions.

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