Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, on January 17, said that the Cabinet has approved refarming of 687 MHz of spectrum from various government ministries to deploy 5G and future 6G services. The total worth of this spectrum, which will now be brought for auctions, is estimated to be Rs 2 lakh crore.
“Now between 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G, we have roughly about 900 Mhz. This means we have a deficit of 1100 MHz spectrum by 2030. By 2030, the telecom sector’s total spectrum demand will reach 2000 MHz. So, the Prime Minister put together a committee of secretaries to examine how much spectrum stakeholders have. And through this study, in yesterday’s cabinet, we have approved 687 Mhz of the spectrum to be reformed to the industry,” Scindia said at the COAI's event in New Delhi.
The refarming of 687 MHz spectrum brings the total available spectrum to 1587 MHz, Scindia said, adding that the remaining 413 MHz required to meet the 2030 demand would also be made available within the stipulated timeline. Of the 687 MHz spectrum approved, 328 MHz spectrum will be released immediately.
"Some spectrum will be made available by the end of next year and then some by the end of 2028 and 2029 which prepares us for 2030.”
Moenycontrol on January 16 reported that the Cabinet has approved the refarming of over 1,100 MHz of spectrum from various ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Defence and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, for reallocation to telecom operators to support 5G and future 6G services.
This strategic move aims to bolster India’s telecom infrastructure, ensuring sufficient spectrum availability to support connectivity and advancements in digital services.
The minister, however, added the CoS is working on identifying more spectrum to refarm in the second round. “….a report will come by the middle of this year, and we would take that step to ensure that there are no bottlenecks for our telecom landscape to grow in India,” he added.
The telecom industry has long urged the government to make more spectrum available, especially in the mid-band and premium lower bands, to enhance 5G capabilities and prepare for the introduction of 6G, expected around 2030. Industry estimates suggest a need for approximately 2,000 MHz in the mid-band range in the near future, up from the 400 MHz currently available, making spectrum refarming essential to meet demand.
As part of the refarming plan, the DoT will assign the 6425-7125 MHz range in the 6 GHz band for telecommunications services, while the lower portion of the band will be reserved for future Wi-Fi use.
SP Kochhar, director general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said, “it is extremely heartening to know that concrete steps have been taken and are being taken to firstly, recognize our demand of 2000 MHz for the IMT band, and actually taking strategic steps to allocate part of it to IMT immediately and continue this exercise so that 2000 MHz can be achieved.”
The move, Kochhar said, will enable rollout and providing of better 5G services to the entire nation at large, which is the broad aim of the Government and the industry.
On Friday, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also launched the Sanchar Saathi app to make it easier for citizens to report any suspected fraud communications. The app will allow the public to flag such incidents directly from their mobile phone call logs.
The government in 2023 launched the Sanchar Saathi portal, launched in 2023 has been an effective mechanism in the crackdown against fraud calls, and the new app will double down on these efforts by ensuring a secure environment for subscribers.
Scindia said that the Sanchar Saathi initiative provides a safe and secure environment where the privacy and security of each customer are safeguarded.
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