The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has reached a global agreement to open the 6 GHz spectrum band for 5G and 6G services. The agreement was reached at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) 2023 in Dubai.
According to the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI), spectrum in the 6 GHz band has the last set of radio frequencies available that can be used for 5G and 6G services at affordable costs while other sets of frequencies marked for them are in higher frequency bands. The wavelength of spectrum frequencies reduces in higher frequency bands, thereby reducing the coverage of signals transmitted in high-frequency bands. Therefore, telecom operators are required to install more transmitters or towers in higher frequency bands compared to lower frequency bands and the cost of deployment network in respective bands also varies.
As per IAFI, the Indian contingent played a more active role at the WRC 2023, convening government representatives for negotiations on the allocation of radio-frequency spectrum. Bharat Bhatia, president, IAFI, was nominated as the vice-chairperson for Committee-4, responsible for dealing with spectrum issues for mobile services. The Committee-4 dealt with the most sensitive matters for WRC-23, including the examination of frequency band 4800-4990 MHz, safeguarding stations of aeronautical and maritime mobile services, and evaluating the identification of frequency bands such as 3300-3400 MHz, 3600-3800 MHz, 6425-7025 MHz, 7025-7125 MHz, and 10.0-10.5 GHz for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT). The frequency band 7025-7125 MHz (100 MHz) will be immediately available for India as well as other Asian countries.
Further, WRC-23 also opened an additional 600 MHz in the band 6425-7025 MHz band for Europe, Africa, Middle-East and some Asia and South American countries and created the necessary regulatory framework for all Asian countries, including India and China, to opt-in to this band at the next meeting WRC-27. As per IAFI, the decision provides India with sufficient time to adjust the existing satellite services of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
