Recently, there has been considerable movement on India’s goal to deploy 5G networks commercially by 2020. Budget 2018-19’s 5G thrust is a clear indication that the government is committed to foster a vibrant 5G ecosystem, in tandem with the rest of the world. The importance of faster 5G adoption can be gauged from the fact that 5G’s collective economic impact on India can reach $1 trillion by 2035. However, the country would need an investment of about $100 billion to deploy infrastructure for 5G over the next 5-7 years.

The 5G India High Level Forum (5G HLF), in its report, has identified and recommended particular spectrum bands that are to be earmarked for 5G in India. It’s up to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to take it forward and incorporate it into the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP). This is a good start which has set the stage right for India to be 5G ready by 2020.

Spectrum will be the key ingredient to ensure effectiveness of 5G services. Different use cases of 5G will require distinct frequency bands, the early use cases that are emerging which India can adopt are enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Fixed Wireless Access .

The requirements

New bands below 6 GHz should be leveraged for 5G. Similarly, high frequency bands, such as those above 24GHz, will be needed for applications that require very high data rates. Such higher frequencies can also accommodate wider channel bandwidth. There is also considerable interest in the 28 GHz band, which is also being called the “frontier band” internationally. This band has been auctioned for early 5G deployments in some countries like South Korea and Japan. With an ecosystem developing in this band, India too can examine this band for use.

India still has the issue of inadequate spectrum allocation compared to other countries. The country’s total licensed mobile spectrum is about 220 MHz as compared to 608 MHz in the US and 353 MHz in the UK. Further, the cost of spectrum, relative to per capita GDP, is much higher in India than in most countries. These factors also amplify the infrastructure costs. In the recent past, soaring cost of spectrum has created a large pool of unsold spectrum. It is imperative for India to correct these anomalies in time to facilitate 5G deployments.

The 5G HLF has recommended that the release of 5G spectrum be done in three tiers. For the ‘Announce Tier’, they have set aside certain bands specifically for 5G. The ‘Identify Tier’, similarly, designated certain bands for potential 5G use, which can be shifted to the Announce Tier after coordination with other domestic users. Lastly, the ‘Study Tier’, where bands are designated for exploratory studies for 5G use. These frequency bands are to be only taken into consideration once there is potential availability of 5G network.

In the Announce Tier, the HLF recommended spectrum allocations such as 698-803 MHz, 3300-3600 MHz, 24.25-27.5 GHz, and 27.5-29.5 GHz of these identified bands, and two main bands should be opened free of cost for two years in order to assist rollout of 5G trials and indigenous R&D.

5G will open up several opportunities for a variety of businesses, be it transport and logistics, healthcare, education, smart manufacturing and smart cities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Digital India’ firmly rests on a robust internet and telecom infrastructure and 5G will play a catalytic role in transforming India into a digitally empowered country.

The writer is Director General, COAI.

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