India shouldn't oppose consensus on 6GHz use at global talks: GSMA

Says major nations close to agreeing on capacity requirements of 5G and beyond

India will benefit from the 6GHz being earmarked for 5G and 6G use, and should not oppose ongoing efforts by other countries to find a consensus on the band’s use globally, a top GSMA official stated in a letter to Telecom Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw.

GSMA is the global association of mobile operators, with more than 1,000 members.

Reviewed by Business Standard, the letter dated December 12 by GSMA Director General Mats Granryd stresses that global negotiations at World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) are in their final stages. And, a consensus is building around the use of the 6 GHz band to address capacity requirements of 5G and beyond.

Talks on whether to allocate the upper 6GHz band for 5G services are currently ongoing at WRC-23.

The letter argued that the band is the only large contiguous block of mid-band spectrum remaining available. It added that countries throughout Europe, West Asia, and Africa are being joined by Russia, Brazil, Mexico and key countries in the Asia-Pacific for this additional mid-band spectrum.

“India would also considerably benefit from this additional capacity, given its accelerated digital adoption and leadership in the digital space, including in 5G. This digital leadership requires India to match the spectrum roadmaps of leading 5G nations, which 6 GHz capacity will support,” it said.

6GHz refers to a specific range of frequencies, spanning from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz, which is a mid-band frequency range.

Granryd said GSMA understands that India is not yet in a position nationally to identify 6 GHz for 5G and beyond.

“We would, however, respectfully request your intervention and support to instruct the Indian delegation at WRC-23 to not oppose the efforts of other countries to find a consensus approach for the band. This will allow the 6 GHz equipment ecosystem to develop, which Indian operators and manufacturers can leverage,” it said.

Granryd said the band is also essential for achieving the government's ‘Bharat 6G Vision’, which envisages India as a leading global supplier of advanced telecom technologies.

“Unfortunately, the position taken by the Indian administration so far at the WRC-23 has been at variance with larger consensus being developed and we are concerned that this may have a long-term impact on India’s laudable digital ambitions,” he pointed out.

Fight intensifying

In India, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which counts Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea among its members, has argued that at least 1200 MHz of spectrum needs to be allocated for mobile communications in India. Currently, only 720 MHz is available in the mid-band in India, it said.

On Wednesday, COAI said it had recommended strict adherence to the Indian position during WRC-2023, and had asked for any deviations to be sought only after consultation with all the stakeholders. "It appears that discussions are being steered towards the bands designation for delicensed WiFi/New Radio Unlicensed usage, contrary to the originally agreed upon position, and against the national objectives and interests," COAI Director General S.P Kochhar wrote in a letter to Vaishnaw.

The designation of the 6 GHz band for mobile telephony is not just a technical decision for India but a strategic one for national connectivity goals.

Meanwhile, the Broadband India Forum (BIF), which represents tech majors like Google, Meta and Microsoft and telecom equipment makers such as Ericsson, Cisco and Huawei, have pushed for the 6GHz mid band to be delicensed, thereby opening it up for Wi-Fi in India.

In September, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recognised that the lower end of the 6 GHz spectrum band can be allocated for unlicensed use such as WiFi and the upper end is licensed for telco use. It had said this would be in line with global precedents.

It also noted that India has far less spectrum devoted to unlicensed use than other major economies.