According to industry sources, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning to initiate an exercise to unlock and sell an additional 5,500 MHz of 5G spectrum worth over Rs 350 billion. To this end, the DoT has reportedly formed an internal committee to chalk out a strategy to incorporate 37.0 – 42.5 GHz as international mobile telecommunications (IMT) bands, which will allow telecom companies to use the spectrum.
The 37.0 – 42.5 GHz band is known as the millimetre wave band and is useful in offering 5G fixed wireless access services. Meanwhile, after DoT gives its approval on the 37.0-42.5 GHz band, the matter will be taken to a committee of secretaries, which will officially notify the band as IMT. The DoT would then approach the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to propose the base price for the airwaves as well as other modalities related to the sale.
Presently, some satellite players are using the spectrum in these bands for their earth stations. However, DoT is of the opinion that both satellite and telecom operators can co-exist in the band as the requirement for earth stations is limited to a particular area.
