Soon, Jio could use 5G spectrum to power your Wi-Fi
What's the story
Reliance Jio has sought permission from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to use the 26GHz band of the spectrum for Wi-Fi services.
The request comes under Clause 2.3 of the Notice Inviting Application (NIA) for the July 2022 spectrum auction.
It mandates operators to seek prior approval from DoT before using spectrum assigned for mobile technologies like 5G, for any other services such as Wi-Fi.
Approval process
Request is currently under review
Notably, the Adani Group recently exited this band by selling its 400MHz holding to Bharti Airtel, as it couldn't identify a commercially viable use case.
DoT officials confirmed that Jio has formally made the request, and the matter is currently under consideration. Jio has not responded to queries regarding this issue.
Strategic move
Jio's potential hybrid deployment strategy
Telecom operators mainly utilize the 5GHz band for Wi-Fi-based broadband services, while the 3,300MHz and 26GHz bands are kept for 5G mobile services.
However, as per officials familiar with the matter, Jio could take a hybrid deployment route by combining the wide coverage of the 5GHz band with ultra-high-speed capacity of the 26GHz in urban areas.
This way, Jio could offer targeted high-speed broadband services without depending on traditional mobile networks.
Auction details
Investments in 5G spectrum
In the 2022 auctions, both Jio and Bharti Airtel went all out to buy 5G spectrum.
Jio paid ₹88,078 crore for 24,740MHz of spectrum, including ₹33,740 crore for 2,200MHz in the 3,300MHz band and ₹6,990 crore for 22,000MHz in the 26GHz band.
Airtel, on the other hand, invested ₹43,084 crore for roughly 19,867.8 MHz of spectrum, including ₹31,700 crore for 2,200 MHz in the 3,300 MHz band and ₹5,592 crore for 17,600 MHz in the 26 GHz band.
Industry implications
DoT's approval could impact COAI
If DoT allows Jio to use the 26GHz band for Wi-Fi services, Airtel will probably make a similar request.
Although globally reserved for 5G, large-scale mobile deployment in this band has not developed yet due to limited handset and equipment support in most markets.
Analysts say approval from DoT could put the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) in a tough spot.