The Broadband India Forum (BIF) has expressed distress over news reports suggesting government approval to refarm 1100 MHz of spectrum and allocate the upper 6GHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) services.
BIF urges reconsideration, advocating for delicensing the 6GHz band to align with global practices and citing economic, security, and environmental benefits.
A phased approach is reportedly planned, with 320 MHz of spectrum initially up for auction. However, BIF asserts that delicensing offers recurring economic benefits exceeding USD 60 billion annually from 2028, with a cumulative impact of USD 180 billion by 2030.
Auctioning the band would yield a one-time revenue far lower than these recurring benefits. By contrast, GSMA estimates the GDP contribution from licensing IMT in the lower 6GHz band to be USD 21 billion between 2024-2034.
Over 84 countries have delicensed the lower 6GHz band (5925-6425 MHz), with 13 countries opening the entire 1200 MHz. Australia recently added 160 MHz to the delicensed spectrum, demonstrating its advantages.
IMT deployment in the 6GHz band lacks a global ecosystem, making it unlikely for operators to bid on this spectrum. No significant IMT ecosystem is expected in this band for at least a decade.
Modern Wi-Fi devices using delicensed 6GHz are already available from trusted sources, including Indian manufacturers. In contrast, IMT equipment relies on non-trusted sources, raising national security concerns.
Allocating 6GHz to IMT would necessitate extensive infrastructure upgrades and compel consumers to purchase new 5G devices, as no current 5G equipment supports this band.
Delicensing the entire 6GHz band in India could result in annual energy savings of 10-15 megatons of CO2, contributing to sustainable spectrum usage and aligning with global climate goals.
The 6GHz band is crucial for data-intensive applications like Industry 5.0, AI, AR/VR, e-health, and ultra-wide broadband networks, providing larger bandwidths for enhanced streaming and gaming experiences.
TV Ramachandran, President of BIF, emphasized the need for delicensing to support India’s digital economy, warning of the security and economic risks of relying on IMT for 6GHz. He urged the government to delicense 500 MHz of the lower 6GHz band immediately, along with an additional 160 MHz by 2030.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
