Indias GDP may increase by $27 billion if spectrum was widely available; GSMA urges the availability of 6Ghz for 5G

According to the GSMA's most recent assessment, India has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using the 6 GHz spectrum, as well as the effect of lower mobile penetration and performance, against any advantages of using the higher 6 GHz band for competing applications.

The upper 6 GHz band has to be included in India's spectrum plan, according to the global telecommunications association GSMA, which also said that broad availability of spectrum for 5G could boost the country's GDP by around $27 billion by 2030.

India's 5G momentum has drawn recognition and interest from across the world. It must continue, and a clear plan to provide spectrum for the expanding mobile demand is required for the Indian government's digital aspirations to be fully realized. The GSMA's Head of Spectrum, Luciana Camargos, said in a press release that the upper 6 GHz band "must be part of that roadmap as well as bringing it into commercial use will demand close collaboration between government and the mobile industry."

According to GSMA, the only option for top nations to satisfy demand for data traffic in the future is via the use of mid-band spectrum.

The group also demanded that the Indian government and the country's mobile industry work together to promote the commercialization of the 6 GHz mobile spectrum, which is essential for providing improved broadband and long-term industrial growth.

The GSMA said in its most recent report that India has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using the higher 6 GHz band for competing applications, as well as the consequence of lower mobile performance and penetration.

The GSMA said that in order to guarantee that the band gets commercialized in India, 6.425-7.125 GHz should be allocated for mobile use in the country's spectrum roadmap or table of allocations.

India has emerged as one of the world's 5G markets with the highest rate of growth, with about 175 million 5G connections by the end of March 2024 and much faster mobile download speeds.

The GSMA said that the only mid-band spectrum now available to meet future needs for data traffic is the upper 6 GHz band, and its acceptance and commercialization would be crucial to India's development of 5G-Advanced and beyond.

At the World Radiocommunication Conference last year, international agreements on the usage of the higher 6 GHz band (6.425-7.125 GHz) were already established.

By 2030, each market will need a total of 2 GHz of mid-band spectrum, according to GSMA, in order to overcome these limitations and satisfy consumer and commercial demand. In a densely populated metropolis like as Mumbai, a whole 2.5 GHz of mid-band spectrum could be needed.