6 GHz spectrum pits wireless telcos against fixed-line broadband entities
- It’s not often that we hear that a band of wireless spectrum is “close to our hearts” from the lectern of a hotel ballroom.
- But the emerging interest in gaining access to the 6 gigahertz (GHz) band — which ranges from 5,925 to 7,125 megahertz (MHz) — is pitting wireless telecom operators against fixed line Internet Service Providers (ISPs), with both groups keen to lay claim to a band of spectrum that could enable the next generation of 5G, or WiFi — or as some modestly insisted, both.
Spectrum worries
- Telecom operators, meanwhile, worry that since India’s mobile data consumption is growing so rapidly — having risen sixfold in 5 years as per a Nokia estimate — that they need to earmark further spectrum for licensed use on their networks.
- Newer WiFi routers in India largely use the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
- As frequency increases, the range of the signal drops, but the bandwidth goes up significantly.
- The WiFi 6E standard, launched in 2020, uses 6 GHz, enabling speeds upwards of 9.6 Gbps; and, 6GHz spectrum supports multiple devices on a wireless network more harmoniously than the 5GHz band, even on slower connections, enticing telecom providers and ISPs.
Prelims Take Away
- ISP
- Specturm