The Indian government has decided to allocate airwaves in the 700 MHz spectrum band to the telcos, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), Reliance Jio, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), for 5G testing. According to an ET Telecom report, the government has given the nod for testing 13 applications for 5G by the Indian telcos. This is a positive move from the government to encourage a faster rollout of 5G in India. However, there are some terms and conditions pertaining to the use of airwaves in the 700 MHz spectrum band that the telcos must follow.
700 MHz Spectrum Available For 5G Testing
The telcos will soon be provided with airwaves in the 700 MHz spectrum band for testing of 5G applications. A government official related to the matter said that the use of 700 MHz band airwaves would have to be done with a special focus on the security of the network. Further, the telcos will have to test it both in rural and urban areas to determine if it performs consistently.
On top of all this, the telcos can’t deploy the airwaves in the 700 MHz spectrum band for commercial purposes. The official said that there would be heavy consequences in case any of the operators is found breaching the terms and conditions related to the airwaves.
BSNL Chooses C-DoT For 5G Trials
The state-run telecom operator, BSNL, has chosen C-DOT (Centre for Development of Telematics) for helping with its 5G trials. At the same time, all the private operators of the country have chosen Nokia and Ericsson for conducting 5G trials in various regions of the country.
Jio had earlier said that it is interested in pairing up with its long-standing 4G roll out partner Samsung along with Nokia and Ericsson for 5G testing. However, as per the official, Jio hasn’t included Samsung in its 5G testing plans.
Further, Vodafone Idea had said that it was interested in conducting 5G trials with the US-based Mavenir. The telcos will soon be provided with the airwaves in the coveted 700 MHz spectrum band so that they can start with their 5G trials across the nation.
