Trai seeks govt clarity on backhaul spectrum rules
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has sought clarifications from the government on the allocation of backhaul spectrum, including the E and V bands, in the wake of the new Telecommunications Act that said such airwaves should be given administratively.
As per the Act, 'radio backhaul' shall mean the use of radio frequency only to interconnect telecom equipment other than customer devices in telecommunication networks.
The clarification became important as the regulator had listed out different options, including auction, to allocate backhaul spectrum in its consultation paper. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) too had said spectrum in the E and V bands can be given through auction, though certain quantum in the V band can be delicensed for indoor coverage.
While the E band (71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz) is being primarily used for 5G backhaul, the usage of V band spectrum (57-64 GHz and 64-71 GHz) has not become prevalent so far. After the 5G spectrum auction in 2022, spectrum in the E band was given provisionally to telecom firms on an administrative basis for 5G backhaul.
But with the Telecommunications Act clearly stating that spectrum for 'radio backhaul' should be given administratively, the regulator has sought views of DoT around what frequencies should be given for backhaul and what other criteria need to be followed.
As per officials aware of the details, Trai had written to DoT seeking clarity on the issues concerning backhaul spectrum.
It has also sought clarity on how spectrum,
