COAI Asks DoT To Reconsider 5G Spectrum Price

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) wants DoT to reconsider the pricing of the 5G spectrum. The 3300-3600 MHz bands, which have been set for 5G services are really expensive, which is why all telecom operators also asked the ministry to reduce the prices.

Notably, the TRAI has suggested Rs. 492 crores per MHz band spectrum. This comes one day after DoT approved 13 applications of all companies, including Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone-Idea for conducting 5G trials.

The telecom ministry allowed telecom companies to use 700 MHz, 3.2 GHz to 3.67 GHz, and 24.25 GHz to 28.5 GHz bands to conduct the trials. In addition, telecom service providers are allowed to use 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2500 MHz for conducting the trials in India.

"It will stimulate the local R&D ecosystem to develop innovative applications tailored to commercial needs. It will enable TSPs to validate 5G technologies and use cases such as IoT and Industry 4.0. We hope the Government will also look into the industry's call for revisiting the 5G spectrum pricing," Lt. Gen. Dr. SP Kochhar, DG COAI said.

5G Trials Will Be Beneficial For India

It is worth noting that 5G trials are expected to reduce the gap between the auction and roll out of the services. For the unaware, trials always take place after the auction. However, this time it is expected that telecom operators will have time for the upcoming network.

Additionally, telecom operators are getting free spectrum for the trials. This means telcos don't have to pay an extra amount for conducting trials. "Applications of 5G in Indian settings will get tested. Tele-medicine, tele-education and drone-based agriculture monitoring, etc. 5G phones and devices can also be tested," Telecom Secretary Anshu Prakash said.

Furthermore, the telecom ministry also said that all telcos should conduct trials in six months. The trials should be conducted in both urban and semi-urban areas.

Why 5G Trials Are Important?

India is behind Canada, the UK, the European Union, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines in terms of launching 5G services in the country. The trials will allow all telecom operators to offer proper 5G services in the country. However, deployment is not going to start soon as it requires investment and the situation of the sector is not that good.