A total of ten bands and over
72,000 MHz of the spectrum are up for grabs in the ongoing auction. The bands on auction are —
600 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3.3 GHz, and
26 GHz. It’s safe to say that most consumers in India will only experience
sub-6GHz 5G i.e
low and mid-band networks. These are ideal to cover a large distance with
5G service. Spectrum in the
1GHz to 6GHz range is considered mid-band, and it is considered ideal for most carriers as it can carry plenty of data over significant distances. As such, the
n78 5G band (3300-3800MHz) will remain one of the crucial bands to be supported by smartphones to take advantage of the 5G network in most places.
The low band spectrum (<1GHz) is ideal to cover a large area with 5G service that ranges in speed between 30 to 250 megabits per second (Mbps).
The millimeter wave falls under the third bucket of the spectrum. mmWave is very high on the spectrum chart with 24GHz band and higher frequency. The high-band tower delivers high-speed internet but the spectrum itself is quite limited, so signals can’t travel very far. In most cases, these signals travel less than a mile and are also susceptible to interference from buildings and trees, so you often end up needing a clear line of sight from your phone to the tower. The exact details of the bids aren’t out yet as the auction is still underway, but it appears that bidders have largely focused on the mid-band spectrum for optimal coverage.
The following table lists the specified frequency bands and the corresponding frequency range to be deployed in the country :
| 5G bands |
Frequency range |
| n1 |
2100MHz |
| n3 |
1800MHz |
| n5 |
800MHz |
| n8 |
900MHz |
| n28 |
700MHz |
| n40 |
2300MHz |
| n41 |
2500MHz |
| n71 |
600MHz |
| n77 |
3300-4200MHz |
| n78 |
3300-3800MHz |
| n257 |
26.5GHz-29.5GHz |
| n258 |
26GHz(24.25-27.5 GHz) |
| n260 |
37.0GHz-40.0GHz |
| n261 |
27.5GHz-28.35GHz |
