Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, i.e. BSNL, demanded spectrum from the premium 700 MHz band from the government. The cost of this is HUF 61,000 million. In addition, the company required medium frequency bands for 4G and 5G services.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) wants the government to allocate Rs 61,000 million in spectrum in several frequency bands. According to sources, the state-run BSNL has urged the government to allocate Rs 61,000 million in premium 700 MHz spectrum as well as medium frequency bands for 4G and 5G services.
BSNL Needs Rs 61,000 Crore Worth of 5G Spectrum
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has recommended that the 10 MHz coupled spectrum to be reserved for BSNL. This means the amount of uplink and downlink radio waves – 10 MHz in the 600 MHz band; 40 MHz in the band 3600-3670 MHz; In the 24 GHz band, it will be 400 MHz. The company sought the opinion of the Indian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRAI).
However, in a letter to the DoT about a week ago, BSNL requested the allocation of the 10 MHz spectrum in the 700 MHz band due to a lack of a device system in the 600 MHz frequency band.
Based on the base price recommended by TRAI, the spectrum sought by BSNL in the 700 MHz bands is around Rs 39,000 million. The band (middle band) required a 70 MHz spectrum. This middle band is expected to play a key role in the rollout of 5G services in the country.
The 700 MHz band is a premium as it provides wide coverage for the mobile signal. Currently, this band requires the fewest telecommunication towers to build a network compared to other frequencies allocated to the region.
According to a government official, private telecom companies are expected to buy 100 MHz of spectrum in the middle band, which could help them with high-speed 5G services. This will be enough for them even if the government has allocated a 70 MHz spectrum to BSNL.