Union Cabinet approves proposal for 5G spectrum auction
15 June, 2022 | Pravina Srivastava
Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, authorized a proposal to hold a spectrum auction today
Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, authorized a proposal to hold a spectrum auction today, in which successful bidders will be assigned spectrum to provide 5G services to the public and businesses.
According to the government, 80 crore people have access to broadband today, up from 10 crores in 2014. The country’s 4G ecosystem is currently paving the way for 5G indigenous development. The establishment of a 5G test bed in eight of India’s premier technology institutes is hastening the country’s adoption of 5G technology.
The PLI (Production-Linked Incentives) schemes for mobile handsets and telecom equipment, as well as the introduction of the India Semiconductor Mission, are intended to contribute to the development of a strong ecosystem in India for the launch of 5G services.
According to the Centre, India will emerge as a leading country in the field of 5G technology and the upcoming 6G technology in the not-too-distant future.
Spectrum is an essential component of the overall 5G ecosystem. Because of the deployment of creative use-cases and technologies, the impending 5G services have the ability to build new-age businesses, produce additional money for corporations, and give employment.
A total of 72097.85 MHz of spectrum will be auctioned by the end of July 2022, with a validity duration of 20 years. Spectrum in the Low (600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz), Mid (3300 MHz), and High (26 GHz) frequency ranges will be auctioned.
Telecom Service Providers are projected to use the Mid and High band spectrum to roll out 5G technology-based services capable of providing speeds and capacities that are roughly 10 times better than what is now possible with 4G services.
The Cabinet also decided to allow for the creation and development of Private Captive Networks in order to spur a new wave of innovations in Industry 4.0 applications such as machine-to-machine communications, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the automotive, healthcare, agriculture, energy, and other sectors.