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5G Spectrum

Govt to address return on 5G investments, pressure on spectrum to rise

The government is looking at addressing challenges related to lack of returns on 5G investments and at the same time need for expanding telecom infrastructure arising out of increase in data usage, a senior official said on Friday. During a panel discussion at ICRIER Prosus Centre for Internet and Digital Economy event, telecom secretary Neeraj Mittal said that the median data speed in India has increased from about 99-100 megabit per second (mbps) in September to 151 mbps and on an average an individual consumes about 29 gigabytes of data every month. He said that most people are consuming data for the purpose of entertainment which means that there is a need to continuously augment telecom infrastructure. "In terms of challenges, we are going to see a lot of pressure on spectrum, as the data flow increases, we have to find new spectrum for mobile usage and broadband. A lot of capex will be required as we move from 5G to 6G. Elsewhere use of 5G and providing them returns because we

Updated On: 28 Feb 2025 | 8:57 PM IST

Ericsson to deploy gear for Bharti Airtel's transition to standalone 5G

Airtel is expected to soon move to 5G SA for fixed wireless access service

Updated On: 25 Feb 2025 | 11:27 PM IST

By end of 2026, entire country will operate exclusively on 5G: Piyush Goyal

Union Minister highlights rapid advancements in telecom, infrastructure, and public welfare, positioning India as a global leader in tech and development

Updated On: 11 Feb 2025 | 5:32 PM IST

Trai recommends opening up key 5G spectrum band for upcoming auctions

The 37-40 GHz spectrum band is ideal for reaching peak 5G speeds in high-density urban areas

Updated On: 04 Feb 2025 | 11:27 PM IST

Adani Group under DoT scanner on delayed 5G rollout, may surrender spectrum

Adani Data Networks acquired 400 MHz in the 26 GHz band for Rs 212 crore during the July 2022 spectrum auctions, but has yet to announce any timeline for its 5G service launch

Updated On: 14 Jan 2025 | 3:36 PM IST

Telecom spectrum in 6-Ghz band key to avoid 5G radio wave crunch: COAI

Non-allocation of telecom spectrum in 6-Ghz band could lead to a radio wave crunch for high-speed 5G services, a key growth driver for the country's digital economy and development of emerging technologies specially artificial intelligence, industry body COAI said on Tuesday. India needs an additional 2 giga hertz of mid-band spectrum to meet the international standard of 'IMT-2020' user experience to ensure data rates of 100 megabit per second (mbps) on downlink and 50 mbps on uplink in densely-populated cities, COAI Director General S P Kochhar told PTI, citing global telecom industry GSMA. "While the government is considering vacating the spectrum in C-band, i.e., 3,670-4,000 MHz for 5G/6G use, it may not be enough to reach the required 2 GHz spectrum for IMT (5G/6G) in mid-band. Therefore, we want to stress on the fact that it is essential that the most optimal allocation of the 1,200 MHz available in the 6 GHz band is done for mobile communications in India, to get this critical

Updated On: 14 Jan 2025 | 12:59 PM IST

Vodafone Idea planning phased 5G rollout with new tariff plans: CEO Moondra

Vodafone Idea announces plans for phased 5G rollout in 75 cities, offering tariffs reportedly 15% lower than market rates to boost customer acquisition

Updated On: 07 Jan 2025 | 2:51 PM IST

How Vodafone Idea's 5G launch in March could shake up telecom pricing

Vodafone Idea is set to launch 5G services with competitive pricing to challenge Jio and Airtel. It has finalised $3.6 billion worth of contract to enhance 4G network and deploy 5G infrastructure

Updated On: 02 Jan 2025 | 10:38 AM IST

Trai recommends additional 5 Mhz spectrum to Railways in 700 Mhz band

Telecom regulator Trai on Friday recommended the allotment of the only chunk of 5 megahertz spectrum left in premium 700 Mhz band frequency range to Indian Railways for passenger safety applications. The price of per megahertz (Mhz) spectrum in 700 Mhz band frequency was priced at Rs 3,927 crore for commercial use. "In addition to the already assigned 5 MHz (paired) frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band, an additional 5 MHz (paired) frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz frequency band should be assigned to Indian Railways for its safety and security applications along the railway tracks for captive use," Trai said in its recommendation on "Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications". The DoT has already allocated 5 Mhz of spectrum in the 700 Mhz band to Indian Railways in 2021. Telecom signals transmitted in 700 Mhz band can cover an area in the range of 6-10 km. The vast coverage provided in these frequency bands reduces th

Updated On: 20 Dec 2024 | 9:44 PM IST

Bharti Airtel signs multi-billion deal with Ericsson for 4G, 5G expansion

Airtel inks multi-billion-dollar deal with Ericsson to extend 4G, 5G contracts; aims to enhance network capacity, coverage, and customer experience amid fierce market competition

Updated On: 04 Dec 2024 | 3:42 PM IST

AT&T expects over $18 bn in cash flow in 2027, driven by 5G, fiber services

Shares of the company rose more than 4 per cent during the session to their highest level since May 2021

Updated On: 04 Dec 2024 | 9:55 AM IST

Govt's nod for bank guarantee waiver will reduce telcos' burden: COAI

Industry body COAI on Tuesday said the Cabinet nod for bank guarantee waiver for past spectrum purchases is a "landmark decision" that would help reduce financial burden on telecom operators in the country. The association - whose members include Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio - further said the move will enhance cash flow, free up capital and enable capital investments in network expansion and technology upgrades. This, COAI said, will ensure a stronger and robust rollout of telecom networks in the future. "COAI welcomes the Union Cabinet's move and thanks the Government on approving the waiving of bank guarantee for telecom operators on spectrum purchased before 2022. This landmark decision will significantly help reduce the financial burden on the telecom operators in the country," SP Kochhar, Director General of COAI said in a statement. The Union Cabinet has waived the requirement to submit bank guarantees for spectrum purchased through auctions held before 2022

Updated On: 26 Nov 2024 | 4:04 PM IST

India leads in 5G growth with 270 million users expected by end of 2024

Despite 5G's rapid growth, 4G still leads with 54% of subscriptions but will drop sharply from 640 million in 2024 to 240 million by 2030 as 5G adoption accelerates

Updated On: 26 Nov 2024 | 3:26 PM IST

Recommendations on satcom to be brought out soon: Trai Chairman Lahoti

Trai's recommendations are expected to clarify allocation methodology, frequencies to be used, spectrum pricing, and terms&conditions that satellite operators must meet concerning national security

Updated On: 06 Nov 2024 | 6:20 PM IST

Generation gap: Will 6G find enough use cases to go where 5G hasn't?

Hope rises as a new generation of telecom technology knocks on our doors. Will it live up to expectations?

Updated On: 22 Oct 2024 | 10:38 PM IST

India's 5G speed drops amid soaring data consumption and need for spectrum

According to Ookla overall median download speeds in the country have fallen by 15 per cent from 107.03 mbps in April -June to 91.7 in July- September of CY 2024

Updated On: 20 Oct 2024 | 10:35 PM IST

Samsung to replace Vi's Chinese gear with 5G equipment in priority circles

New equipment from Ericsson and Nokia to focus on 4G, raise population coverage to 90%

Updated On: 17 Oct 2024 | 12:14 AM IST

Nokia in talks with Airtel for multi-billion dollar 5G contract: Report

The deal with Airtel would be for Nokia's latest AirScale mobile radios that support upgrading an existing network to 5G-Advanced and reduces energy costs

Updated On: 16 Oct 2024 | 8:19 PM IST

After demand for 5G gear, Ericsson sees signs of demand recovery after Q3

Net sales declined by 4% to 61.8 billion Swedish crowns ($5.92 billion) but beat estimates of 61.6 billion. They were down 1 per cent on an underlying basis

Updated On: 15 Oct 2024 | 3:42 PM IST

97% of cities, 80% population covered by 5G: Jyotiraditya Scindia

9,560 unconnected villages got signal in first 100 days of govt

Updated On: 23 Sep 2024 | 8:41 PM IST