Telcos Demand 6 GHz Airwaves and OTT Players to Share Revenues

telcos demand 6 ghz airwaves and ott

The Indian telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Reliance Jio have demanded the government offer up the 6 GHz spectrum for auctions. The debate is ongoing whether the 6 GHz airwaves should be delicensed for Wi-Fi use or should it be given to the telcos via an auction route. COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India), in its recommendations to the newly formed government, said that the 6 GHz mid-band spectrum is crucial to expanding the 5G networks in India.

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COAI is an industry body representing the private telecom operators in the country. There is a need for 1200 MHz airwaves available in the 6 GHz band for the deployment of 5G, said COAI. According to a GSMA estimate, with the 6 GHz spectrum, telcos will be able to save up to $10 billion annually in rolling out 5G.

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“Over the past couple of years, India has made a giant leap in 6G innovations through initiatives such as Bharat 6G Alliance and Bharat 6G Vision which envisage India to be a leader in 6G innovations and deployment. To achieve this mission, the industry needs massive spectrum resources which can deliver the higher capacity required by 6G. Thus, we urge the government to strategically plan the 6 GHz resources for 6G as well,” said COAI.

At the same time, the industry body asked the government to lower the reserve price of spectrum/airwaves as it is quite high compared to the other countries.