Report entirely out of sync with PM’s vision of Bharat 6G

Broadband India Forum has sent a dissent note on the final report on the spectrum roadmap for 6G issued by the chair, drafting group on October 13.

BIF is a member of all the 6 TIGs of Bharat 6G that contributed to the Bharat 6G vision document, which PM Narendra Modi released on March 22, 2023.

The Bharat 6G Alliance was created to implement the Bharat 6G Vision Document. BIF, a key contributor to this vision document, also signed an MoU with the Bharat 6G Alliance to support its implementation.

“Our consistent and repeated inputs provided during the Drafting Group meetings regarding the importance and need to recognise 6GHz as a Priority Spectrum Band for Modern & Advanced Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6E & 7) in alignment with Global norms and international best practices being followed in 84 countries worldwide, seem to have fallen on deaf ears. This is highly disappointing and counterproductive since it goes against the Vision of the Hon’ble PM in the Bharat 6G Vision Document, which had envisaged 50Mn Wi-Fi hotspots and the lower 6GHz band to be delicensed to facilitate development and growth of 6G,” said the note.

The BIF said the proposed final report did not capture any of their concerns or include the appropriate text, as suggested.

“It seems to have been dealt with in a partisan manner. Hence, we are now constrained to submit a strong, open, and transparent dissent note for your most urgent and kind consideration as we disagree with the PROPOSED position taken on 6GHz, one of the premier globally harmonized Wi-Fi spectrum bands. India is a price-sensitive market, and the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi is essential for the spread of affordable and good quality broadband for all, and usurping it fully for IMT goes against the public interest and is against national priority.”

By assigning the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi, India can provide 5G like service to the unconnected and under connected masses in the country. “As many as 15 powerful and data-backed reasons have been ignored to cater to the haves’ who are already well connected and overlook the under-connected and underserved majority.”

BIF said the report is entirely out of sync with PM’s vision of Bharat 6G . “We shall provide a more detailed and substantive response in this regard shortly, but here we wish to urge you once again to withhold the proposed report and include our point of view by including the suggested text made earlier.”

The BIF has raised strong objections to omitting its proposed text on the 6GHz spectrum band in the Final Report on Spectrum Roadmap for 6G. BIF suggested that the 6GHz band (5925-7125 MHz) should be allocated for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) applications, aligning with global best practices and ensuring affordable, high-quality broadband access for underserved communities.

BIF emphasized that the Department of Telecom (DoT) had previously constituted a National Committee comprising various stakeholders to assess the spectrum requirements and explore the possibility of license-exempt usage of the lower 6GHz band (5925-6425 MHz). The committee’s report recognized the growing global trend toward delicensing the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi services, with 84 countries already adopting this approach.

The reasons by given by BIF why 6GHz should be earmarked for Wi-Fi include:

• 6 GHz Wi-Fi is vital for Public Interest and Economic Growth.
• Relatively inadequate quantum of Wi-Fi Spectrum allocated so far.
• 6GHz Spectrum needed to support 50 Mn Wi-Fi hotspots and Modern & Advanced Wi-Fi Technologies viz. Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7.
• Harmonious Coexistence of 6 GHz Wi-Fi with Incumbent Services established
• 6GHz for Wi-Fi, provides much more savings than IMT in 6GHz band
• Improved sustainability through lower energy consumption of Wi-Fi and 6GHz compared to IMT.
• 6GHz Wi-Fi is essential for meeting customer demand for data-intensive applications
• Availability of Equipment and Device Ecosystem for 6 GHz Wi-Fi
• The Need for 320 MHz carriers & the full 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi
• 6GHz Wi-Fi is Essential for Commercial Success of 5G and 6G
• No Global Consensus yet for IMT in 6 GHz band
• Boost to Atmanirbharta & Benefits for the Manufacturing Sector
• Mobile Data Offload and improvement in QoS & QoE of Mobile Networks
• Availability of Equipment and Device Ecosystem for 6 GHz Wi-Fi
• 6GHz Wi-Fi and big impetus to Education

Suggested text by BIF which has not been considered:

As regards 6GHz, Department of Telecom had constituted a National Committee involving all stakeholders to arrive at a most prudent and realistic balanced assessment of spectrum requirements and to examine the feasibility of license-exempt use of the 5925 MHz-7125 MHz band (6GHz band) for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) applications after detailed consultation with all the stakeholders.

The study had examined permitting license-exempt usage of 5925-6425 MHz range by WAS/RLAN equipment under LPI/VLP(Indoor/outdoor) configurations. The Report had recognised the lack of global traction for IMT in the lower 6GHz band (5925-6425 MHz) and that several countries had already delicensed this part of the band (a number which has swelled to 84 countries today) for WAS/RLAN usage. The Report also recognised that while harmonious co-existence is possible between RLAN/WAS and the incumbent services (FSS/FS). This Report also recommended further studies to be carried out for coexistence between IMT and FSS including Wi-Fi in the upper part of the band i.e. 6425-7125 MHz.

Since alternate spectrum bands in the 7025 -8.400 MHz spectrum band has already been identified for 6G and could provide the needed contiguous spectrum of approx. 1.5GHz in the mid band which was needed for development and growth of 6G, the 6GHz band (5925- 7025MHz) be earmarked for Wi-Fi based services, in alignment with global best practices being followed in over 84 countries and in accordance with the Bharat 6G Vision document and the national priorities of providing affordable and good quality broadband and help connect the unconnected and under-connected.
BCS Bureau