NEW DELHI: According to sources, the Department of Telecom (DoT) has given spectrum to telecom providers in order to begin 5G trials in the country.
According to industry sources, the trials will be held in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Gujarat, and Hyderabad.
“Telecom operators have been given spectrum in the 700 megahertz (MHz) band, the 3.3-3.6 gigahertz (GHz) band, and the 24.25-28.5 gigahertz (GHz) band across several sites,” a telecom firm official said.
On May 4, the Department of Transportation authorised proposals from Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and MTNL to undertake 5G experiments without using Chinese technologies.
The Department of Transportation had approved 5G testing with Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, and C-DOT. Reliance Jio Infocomm will also conduct trials with its own proprietary technologies.
According to the Department of Transportation, 5G technology will provide ten times the download speed of 4G and up to three times the spectrum efficiency.
The use of 5G in Indian contexts will be tested during the trials. This includes telemedicine, tele education, and farm monitoring using drones, among other things. On their networks, telecom operators will be allowed to test various 5G devices.
The trials are now scheduled to last for six months. This includes a two-month period for purchasing and setting up the equipment.
The approval letters state that each telecom service provider must perform trials in rural and semi-urban areas as well as urban areas to ensure that the benefits of 5G technology are seen throughout the country and not just in urban areas.
According to industry reports, no telecom operators have been assigned spectrum in Punjab, Haryana, or the Chandigarh union region.
