Centre Plans To Vacate Mid-Band Spectrum Worth Over Rs 1 Lakh Crore For 5G And 6G

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is reportedly planning to release mid-band spectrum valued at over Rs 1 lakh crore in the next three years by reallocating it from current broadcasting or satellite users, and auctioning it off for the deployment of 5G or 6G networks.

The department aims to relocate broadcasting firms from 3,670-4,000 MHz to 4000-4200 MHz band, according to insiders.

Telcos will need more mid-band frequency for 5G and 6G in the future, according to an official quoted in a Economic Times report.

Spectrum has already been allocated up to 4200 MHz for 5G in various countries, including the US.

“We will see how much more spectrum can be made available for 5G/6G," the official said.

Another official cited in the report suggested that the 4000-4200 MHz band can be shared between existing satellite TV users and 5G/6G, accommodating both.

The DoT had recently declined TRAI's proposal to reserve 40 MHz in the 3700-3800 MHz range for captive private networks as the entire mid-band from 3300-4000 MHz is ideal for 5G services.

The official cited in the ET report argued that reserving the spectrum for private networks or broadcasting would be an unwise financial decision since it's valuable and should instead be auctioned.

According to the report, the Wireless Planning Coordination (WPC) wing of the DoT is working on freeing the mid-band spectrum and identifying more bands for international mobile telecommunications (IMT) usage.