Telcos' body COAI bats for more 5G spectrum; says mid band 6GHz airwaves needed for optimum service quality, costs

Representative image.

Industry body COAI on Tuesday made a strong pitch for setting aside mid band 6GHz spectrum for mobile operators, saying it is critical for proliferation of 5G services, and delicensing it to "use for all" will impact quality and cost of next generation services.

Radiowaves in 6GHz is a sweetspot for telecom service providers as current spectrum in the mid band is "woefully short of requirement of telcos".

Also, 6GHz, with its propagation qualities, will be ideal for densely populated areas, specially urban locations.

"Right now, about 720 MHz spectrum that telcos have in the mid band range is not enough for the requirements," SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI (Cellular Operators' Association of India) said briefing reporters on the need for 6GHz spectrum allocation for 5G services.