Telcos body COAI bats for more 5G spectrum for optimum service quality

New Delhi: Industry body COAI on Tuesday made a strong pitch for setting aside mid-band 6GHz spectrum for mobile operators, saying it is critical for the proliferation of 5G services, and delicensing it to "use for all" will impact quality and cost of next-generation services.

Radiowaves in 6GHz is a sweet spot for telecom service providers as the current spectrum in the mid-band is "woefully short of the requirement of telcos".

Also, 6GHz, with its propagation qualities, will be ideal for densely populated areas, especially urban locations.

"Right now, about 720 MHz spectrum that telcos have in the mid-band range is not enough for the requirements," SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) said briefing reporters on the need for 6GHz spectrum allocation for 5G services.