5G spectrum for private players is not a threatening mark for Indian telcos: Says a Report

The recommendation by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to assign 5G spectrum to private enterprises is not a threat to the Indian telecom operators, a new report stated on Tuesday.

As India gears up for the 5G spectrum auction, the TRAI is aiming to enable the framework for enterprises to build their own private networks.

According to the latest insights by US-based broadband speed tester Ookla, the TRAI recommendations are in line with other 5G markets like France, the US, Germany, Japan, and the UK, and Indian telcos should not see this proposal as a threat. 

The 5G and 5G Standalone will offer the benefits related to eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), massive IoT, and critical IoT to Indian enterprises, allowing better control over their networks with an attractive benefit of the increased security offered by isolating their data from public networks. 

Among various sectors that stand to benefit from 5G is the manufacturing sector, representing 20 percent of the total benefit along with Retail, ICT and Agriculture.

The insights suggested that the Indian telcos should leverage the ongoing buzz around the 5G spectrum to get enterprises interested in digitalization and closely work with them to enable various 5G use cases applications across all sectors. 

Meanwhile, leading industry bodies have hailed the TRAI recommendations of around 35-40 percent cut in the reserve price for 5G spectrums for mobile services, terming it historic and which can finally put India on the world 5G map. 

According to industry experts, the TRAI has mooted the concept of sharing of spectrum between the satellite and 5G industry in a harmonious manner. 

In future auctions, the access spectrum will be assigned for a period of 30 years as against 20 years now.