DoT to Explore Ways to Speed Up 5G Spectrum Allocation Policy

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Participants at the DoT meeting today will take stock of government funding requirements and explore ways to support industry

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is meeting today to discuss on how to speed up the pending 5G spectrum allocation policy.

The meeting, to be chaired by DoT additional secretary Anshu Prakash, is also convened to clear the air on all bands to be available for 5G commercial deployments and get a fix on budgetary support required by telcos rolling out such ultra-high speed mobile broadband networks, ET reported.

“The meeting will review bottlenecks holding up 5G deployments, with an aim to hasten DoT executive orders/notifications needed to operationalise the recommendations of the 5G Forum on spectrum allocation, funding, right of way issues among others,” a senior industry executive aware of the matter told ET.

The source further noted that clarity from DoT on all spectrum bands to be available in future for 5G commercial deployments is “critical for industry to commit resources for field trials”.

Investment risks for telcos

Participants at the DoT meeting will also discuss ways to reduce investment risks for telcos going 5G.

They will take stock of government funding requirements and explore ways to support industry, which could include PPP models, conferring essential infrastructure status to 5G networks enabling telcos to access low-cost capital or even accessing unused Universal Services Obligation Fund proceeds by way of viability gap grants for 5G rural deployments, the ET report stated.

Stanford University professor AJ Paulraj, who had helmed the high-level 5G Forum, will be attending the meeting.

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