Affordable broadband access to hi-quality content

In advancing toward Digital India, we have to consciously ensure balanced and calibrated growth of all key telecommunication technologies. A lopsided growth of the infrastructure could spell serious trouble as we go forward. Many technologies – mobile, fiber-based fixed, wireless, and Wi-Fi, satcom, free space optics, etc., have to work in tandem to achieve the desired levels of high-quality broadband connectivity in such a vast and diverse geography as our subcontinent where only about 60 percent have net connectivity and far less have high-speed broadband connectivity. The collaborative play of all technologies is absolutely essential for achieving our desired goals.

We are a mobile-first country and hence while mobile networks have a crucial role to play in providing connectivity, one also has to take suitable supporting measures as we progress in the level of ‘G’ we are deploying. Going from 2G through 3G and 4G to 5G, one has to generally use radio frequency spectrum of higher and higher frequencies to cope with the rising data levels to be carried. However, higher frequencies provide coverage only for a shorter distance and, more importantly, have poorer in-building penetration characteristics.

In just 12 months after the launch of 5G in India, the concerned two major mobile operators achieved remarkably large rollouts covering 738 districts and about 7000 towns, one of the fastest in the world. However, it is a matter of concern that the adoption of 5G by customers has been somewhat disappointing, being only about 11 percent of the total mobile connections. Experts opine that the chief reason is that there are no compelling unique use-cases with 5G except that of higher speed. On the other hand, 4G has been very successful and provides good enough speeds for most subscribers and most purposes. There are, of course, data intensive applications like advanced gaming, HD video streaming, AR, VR, etc., which need the 5G level of low latency, high-speed, etc. However, since the 5G signals have poorer penetration into buildings, and 70–80 percent of data traffic is consumed only inside buildings, one does not get the benefit of strong 5G signals within buildings. This can be a powerful dampener for increased adoption of 5G and can be a showstopper for the next-gen 6G. It is, therefore, imperative to have robust data-supportive Wi-Fi networks while indoors. Existing 2.4 and 5-GHz Wi-Fi do not have the capability to handle data-intensive apps. One, therefore, must have modern wireless networks based on Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 to cater to this need. Only thus would we be able to facilitate increased adoption of 5G. The above need would be further heightened by next-gen 6G where India is planning to play a lead role. India is incidentally championing the adoption of the higher-frequency bands for 5G and subsequently for 6G, (i) 7125–7750, (ii) 9800–10,000, (iii) 10,500–10,700, and (iv) 14,500–15,350 MHz. Hence, if we do not make suitable modern technology Wi-Fi available everywhere, India’s plans for 6G leadership would suffer grievously.

It may be noted that the current Wi-Fi in India, based on Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and using limited unlicensed quantum of spectrum of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, cannot support the data-intensive services of 5G and 6G. India has to, therefore, urgently commence the adoption and use of Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), which allow for high speeds, low latency, and improved service levels, comparable to 5G networks and, therefore, smoothly support customers’ usage of advanced apps and new and innovative services. However, these modern Wi-Fi standards need license exempt 6-GHz spectrum, which has been adopted by most major economies of the world (over 50 countries including USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, EU, UK, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, etc.). It should be noted that Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 are particularly beneficial for advanced business, industrial, and consumer applications. Given the relatively short distances radio signals travel in the 6-GHz band, the spectrum is not ideal for extending 5G/IMT coverage. By contrast, the spectrum is ideal for Wi-Fi, which can work in tandem with incumbent satellite services and FWA services. Indeed, the strong demand for fixed broadband is a good reason for making the entire 6-GHz band license-exempt, and available for use by Wi-Fi, which provides a vital link between a building’s broadband connection and its occupants’ mobile devices. In absolute terms, the ongoing increase in fixed traffic is much greater than the increase in mobile traffic.

It is heartening to also note that the government has done, and is continuing to do, much to significantly improve the ease of doing business in the matter of right of way (RoW) for rollout of optic fiber cable (OFC) in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. They have, in particular, sanctioned one of the highest amounts globally (Rs. 1.39 lakh crore) for rolling out of OFC to over 600,000 villages. With such fiber connectivity, ubiquity of high-speed broadband becomes possible and, based on research findings, could lead to at least 10 times higher data consumption per connection, i.e., at least about 190 Gb against current level of 17–19 Gb for mobile/wireless users. It is expected that India will have 110 million OFC connections against the current level of about 34 million wireless connections. Therefore, It is imperative that for connectivity to various devices, whether at home or enterprises, would have to be based on routers with Wi-Fi. Thus, Wi-Fi is an essential component in the final delivery of broadband to the users inside the building even when we use OFC as backhaul. In fact, irrespective of the media being used for connectivity – IMT, fiber, or satellite, the last hop for indoor usage would have to primarily be only Wi-Fi.

Over the next few years, it is also expected that there would be substantial increase in the number of devices (HD 8K TV, surveillance cameras, gaming consoles, AR/VR/XR devices, smart consumer durables, and other devices like IoT, etc.). The number of connected devices per person by 2030 is projected to be 15 and this means the number of devices per household would go up to as many as 60! Modern Wi-Fi technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, which use high channel bandwidths, of up to 320 MHz, would be absolutely imperative to achieve good QoE inside buildings.

A Report by the German Research Agency, WIK Consult, shows how allowing Wi-Fi access to the entire 6-GHz band advances environmental sustainability goals in combating climate change. The 56-page report estimates that there would be 16-percent energy savings if Wi-Fi was deployed in the entire 6-Ghz band, as compared to the scenario where Wi-Fi was deployed in the lower part of the band and IMT in the upper part of the band. This would translate into a savings of 3.2 megatons of CO2 emissions annually.

According to the report, allocating the complete 6-GHz band for license-exempt access including Wi-Fi contributes to reducing the energy consumption and environmental footprint of telecom networks globally. With data consumption rising exponentially, it is vital to secure this sizable sustainability benefit through unlicensed 6G.

New and innovative applications in the areas of disaster management, healthcare, etc., would also be based on intense data and, therefore, demand the use of strong modern Wi-Fi like 6E and 7.

6-GHz based Wi-Fi is a sure win-win for all stakeholders as it benefits consumers, 5G operators, introduction of 6G and also helps protect incumbent satellite and fixed backhaul services and, in fact, the overall economy. India cannot be lagging behind over 50 countries in the world, which have introduced unlicensed 6 GHz for Wi-Fi, (13 having assigned the full 1200-MHz and balance the lower half of the band). Therefore, the time has come for policy makers in India to also urgently seek opening of at least the lower 6-GHz band in a license-exempt manner as proliferation of high-speed, low-latency broadband access in unconnected and difficult-to-connect areas is imperative to help in digital inclusivity and acceleration in reaching the national goals of Digital India.

This article is authored by TV Ramachandran, Hon. FIET (London) and President, of Broadband India Forum. Views expressed are personal.