Taiwanese semiconductor firm MediaTek said that it would support millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum bands in India, positioning itself as a critical enabler for future 6G networks. The company said it is committed to working with Indian telecom operators Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, who are currently in the planning stages of deploying services in the 26 GHz mmWave band acquired in the 2022 spectrum auction.
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MediaTek Commits to India's mmWave Spectrum Rollout
"MediaTek invests very heavily in cellular. That's our biggest segment. We believe in millimeter wave bands. From a cellular perspective, you need millimeter wave bands because we're all going to run out of frequencies and also 6G is also going to have even higher frequencies," Thomas Ho, marketing director at MediaTek said, according to an ETTelecom report.
mmWave for Wi-Fi
Both Jio and Airtel acquired airwaves in the 26 GHz band. However, both service providers had to roll out 5G services based on the mmWave range to meet minimum rollout norms. Last month, Jio approached the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), seeking approval to use mmWave spectrum for Wi-Fi applications.
"We know that Jio and Airtel have this frequency (26 GHz) band. And also the Indian government has requested to have some usage of this frequency band. So they are all under the planning to develop a product using this frequency band," the executive reportedly said.
Also Read: Jio Seeks DoT Nod to Use 26 GHz 5G Spectrum for WiFi Services
MediaTek is Believer in mmWave Range
"India is a top-ranking Wi-Fi region, supporting diverse needs and driving innovation with Jio," MediaTek said, as mentioned in the report.
MediaTek's Ho reportedly said that MediaTek is a "big believer in millimeter wave range" and it did not take off not just India but worldwide due to various factors, the main reason being the cost versus benefit. "But, we are releasing, and we did release phones that support millimeter wave bands."
MediaTek's 5G and Wi-Fi Technology
The company highlighted its presence in India's broadband sector, claiming a 60 percent market share in the indoor Wi-Fi 6 router segment, enhancing user experience with Jio and Airtel's Air Fiber rollout.
In 2022, MediaTek introduced its first mmWave-enabled 5G chipset, the Dimensity 1050 system-on-chip (SoC), to power next-generation 5G smartphones.
"We also have 5G Continuous Delivery (CD) solutions that support millimeter wave, just like our competitor," he reportedly said, adding that the use of spectrum is a matter of economics. The fabless chipset multinational said that it would support the Indian telcos. "The future, like 6G, is kind of partly built upon that."
Also Read: MediaTek Unveils M90 5G-Advanced Modem With AI and Speeds Up to 12 Gbps
Regulatory Push for More High-Frequency Bands
The company continues to back regulatory initiatives to open up more high-frequency bands. Earlier this year, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended the auction of additional mmWave spectrum in the 37–37.5 GHz and 37.5–40 GHz spectrum bands.
mmWave bands, which start above 24 GHz, are considered crucial for delivering high-capacity, low-latency services in densely populated urban regions. MediaTek claims it ships over two billion Wi-Fi devices annually and maintains a leadership position in the Indian broadband market, according to the report.
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