ITU-APT Foundation proposes 600 MHz 4G-5G spectrum band in Asia-Pacific

ITU-APT Foundation of India(IAFI) has submitted a proposal for creation of a new 600 MHz 4G-5G spectrum band to the 28th annual meeting of the APT wireless Group (AWG) meeting held virtually from 6th to 14 September 2021.

This proposal has found wide acceptance among many Asian countries at the just concluded AWG-28 meeting.

The meeting has decided to set up a group led by IAFI and New Zealand operator Spark to further harmonize the 600 MHz band plan options among the Asian Countries so that a unified APT 600 band plan could be developed.

600 MHz has already been launched in USA, following a successful auction where T- Mobile bought 600 MHz licenses through spectrum auction in April 2017 for US$8 billion while another US operator Dish spent US $6.2 billion on this band.

In India the band has been lying vacant along with the 700 MHz band while operators networks have been deprived of the necessary and critical coverage spectrum and the quality of mobile services in India has taken a severe beating.

IAFI had submitted this new 600 MHz band in a formal contribution to the AWG-28 meeting last month. (https://itu-apt.org/system/static/uploads/pdf/AWG-28-IAFI-08- %20Frequency%20arrangement%20for%20IMT%20(1).pdf)

This new proposed 40+40 MHz band plan will provide 80 MHz of premier 4G-5G spectrum in addition to the current 700 MHz band which could have provided 90 MHz 4G-5G coverage spectrum.

However, India has already reserved 30 MHz of the 700 MHz band for Defence (20 MHz) and Railways (10 MHz). With 600 MHz becoming available, the total bandwidth available to the mobile industry in this 600-700 MHz “beach-front” like spectrum will be 140 MHz , including 80 MHz in 600 MHz band and 60 MHz in 700 MHz band.

Indian administration has already decided to clear this 40+40 MHz band for mobile services. It is also worth noting that the operators have already ignored the earlier 700 MHz spectrum auctions because of its steep reserve price, even though this band is important for the Telcos coverage requirements.

While many countries in the world have already launched commercial 5G , India is still in the trials phase. However, for 5G to be successful in India, the Telcos need to get it at a fair price. The 5G spectrum auctions are going to be very crucial for determining how well India progresses in the 5G era. Telecom operators have already said that the government needs to give them spectrum at an affordable price and this can only

happen if the 5G spectrum auctions are started without any reserve price.

IAFI has written to the DOT
Speaking on IAFI’s participation in the AWG-28 meeting, Mr. Bharat Bhatia, President IAFI confirmed that the IAFI contribution on 600 MHz band received widespread support from many Asia Countries, vendors as well as operators and expressed the hope that APT will soon be able to find a unified band plan for this most precious part of new mobile spectrum.

He also mentioned that IAFI has submitted a total of 9 contributions to this APT meeting covering wide subjects such as Ka Band satellites systems, cellular based driverless cars and satellite based IOT technologies.

Mr. Bhatia chairs a special Task group in the AWG which is currently working on a new Report on use of 5G in critical applications for Industries and enterprises.

ITU-APT Foundation of India (ITU-APT) is a non-profit, non-political, non-partisan Industry foundation registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1960.

ITU-APT is working for last 18 years with the prime objective of encouraging involvement of professionals, corporate, public/private sector industries, R&D organizations, academic institutions, and such other agencies engaged in development of Indian Telecom sector in the activities of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT).

The Foundation has been recognized as an International/Regional Telecommunications Organization by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

ITU-APT is also having close working relations with similar organizations in many other countries including, Japan, Indonesia and USA.

Our members include many stalwarts of the telecom sector including many previous secretaries, members, advisors and DDGs of the DOT and Telecom Commission. We also have many corporate members from India and other countries including operators, vendors. The foundation has been responding to various government consultations in the past.
CT Bureau