The initiative will involve reallocating airwaves in 10 spectrum bands
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning to refarm over 1,100 megahertz of spectrum currently allocated to various ministries to support the rollout of advanced 5G and future 6G services.
According to a report by local newspaper The Economic Times, the initiative will involve reallocating airwaves in 10 frequency bands, including the mid-band spectrum (1-6 GHz) and parts of the 6 GHz band, which are suitable for the provision of next-generation telecom technologies.
The DoT has identified a number of spectrum bands that will be available for refarming over the next few years, which will then be auctioned to local carriers. These bands, currently held by ministries such as space, defense, broadcasting, railways and housing, include portions of the mid-band, according to the reports. A significant portion of the current spectrum is used by legacy systems, such as those in the armed forces and the space department, which will be relocated to alternative frequencies to free up space.
“DoT has shared the proposal with the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) for review, and further clarity on how much spectrum can be repurposed for mobile use is expected in the coming months,” an official was quoted as saying.
“Once the CoS approves the plan, DoT will initiate steps for auctioning this spectrum in the coming years,” stated another official.
Earlier this year, the Union Cabinet authorized the creation of a CoS to oversee spectrum refarming efforts.
The DoT has yet to finalize the allocation of the entire 6 GHz band, which consists of 1,200 megahertz. However, it has decided to allocate the upper 6 GHz band for mobility use. In 2023, the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) opened 100 megahertz of the 6 GHz band for global mobility services.
Indian telecom operators are advocating for the entire 6 GHz band to be reserved for mobile services, while technology firms are lobbying for a portion of the band to be allocated for Wi-Fi services.
The much-awaited 5G spectrum auction in India concluded in June, raising a total of INR113.4 billion ($1.3 billion), as the country’s three main carriers spent a fraction of the sums they previously spent in the previous 5G spectrum auction.
In that auction, the Indian government sold a total of 141 megahertz of spectrum across eight bands, including 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 2.1 GHz, 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz.
Local carrier Bharti Airtel was the top bidder in the auction. The carrier spent a total of INR68.6 billion to acquire 97 megahertz of spectrum, followed by Vodafone Idea which acquired frequencies for a total of INR 35.1 billion and Reliance Jio Infocomm, who spent nearly INR10 billion to secure additional 5G frequencies.
Industry analyst had previously said that Indian operators were only expected to secure additional 5G spectrum for licenses due to expire soon in certain telecoms circles across the country.
India completed its first 5G spectrum auction in July 2022.
