Indian delegation at spectrum meet deviating from agreed position without consultation, alleges COAI

New Delhi: Telecom industry body COAI has alleged that the Indian delegation at an ongoing global spectrum meet is deviating from the stance agreed upon with the industry on the 6 Ghz band spectrum without any consultation.

In a letter to union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on December 13, the Cellular Operators Association of India said that failure to designate spectrum in the 6 gigahertz band for mobile services will harm India's 5G interest. It will also impact the progress towards the development of a worldwide ecosystem for mobile telephony in this band, the lobby group said.

ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 is going on in Dubai where a decision will be taken on technology for which 6 Ghz band spectrum should be used across the globe. The conference started on November 20 and will end on December 15.

COAI, whose members include Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea etc, said through its earlier correspondence to the minister, it had attempted to put forward the correct picture about the use and need for the designation of the 6 GHz frequency band for IMT or the 5G.

'In light of the criticality of the band for India’s 5G and 6G aspirations, we had recommended strict adherence to the Indian position during the ongoing WRC-2023 and requested to kindly ensure that deviations, if any, be affected only upon consultation with all the stakeholders,' COAI Director General SP Kochhar said in the letter.

Telecom industry wants the 6 Ghz band spectrum band to be earmarked for 5G services.

The cost of network rollout in this frequency will be lower as compared to the next set of suitable spectrum for 5G available in higher frequency bands. Global telecom industry body GSMA in a letter to Vaishnaw last month said that the 6 GHz band is the only large contiguous block of mid-band spectrum that can deliver affordable 5G services.

Some companies which provide WiFi services have demanded that the spectrum in the 6 Ghz band should be allocated for WiFi services.

Kochhar said as the WRC-2023 deliberations enter the crucial last phase presently, it appears that discussions are being steered towards the bands designation for delicensed 'WiFi/NRU (new radio unlicensed)' usage, contrary to the originally agreed upon position, and against the national objectives and interests.

'The impractical power limits for IMT being suggested by the Indian delegation at WRC, even for Regions 1 and 2, would be detrimental to the development of 5G and 6G in this band, and we believe that was never India's official position,' he said. Kochhar said IMT (5G) allocation in this band is essential to bolster India's burgeoning digital infrastructure and ensure that the benefits of next-generation connectivity reach every corner of the nation.

'Failure to designate this band as originally intended will not only harm India’s IMT interests, but also impact the progress towards the development of a worldwide ecosystem for IMT in this band,' Kochhar said. COAI has sought immediate intervention of Vaishnaw to ensure that the allocation of the 6 GHz band is done for 5G in a manner that prioritises national interest and upholds connectivity goals.

'India would benefit considerably from this additional capacity given our nation’s accelerated digital adoption and leadership in the digital space, including in 5G, and the fact that we still have significantly lower spectrum per capita than many other nations,' Kochhar said.

GSMA has also sought Vaishnaw's intervention to support and instruct the Indian delegation at WRC-23 to not oppose the efforts of other countries to find a consensus approach for the band.

According to GSMA, Countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are being joined by the Russian Federation, Brazil, Mexico and key countries in the Asia Pacific on the need for this additional mid-band spectrum.