5G panel suggests opening of new spectrum bands

New Delhi: The steering committee set up to chart India’s 5G road map on Thursday recommended additional spectrum for fuelling the next-generation of wireless services, and suggested that the allocation of the first tranche of such radiowaves be announced this year.

The panel, which submitted its report to the government on Thursday, gave wide-ranging recommendations to drive India’s 5G aspirations entailing areas such as spectrum policy, regulatory policy, education and standards.

The economic impact of 5G is expected to be over $1 trillion, the report said.

“5G is a massive new opportunity...it can be leveraged for major societal transformation,” professor AJ Paulraj, who chaired the committee, said. The 5G roadmap pursued by India should not only move the country forward, but also result in progress of weaker sections of society, he added.

Paulraj said he expected the 5G commercial rollout in India to happen around 2020. The steering committee also suggested the constitution of a panel with a five-year term to advise on building spectrum technology infrastructure for India.