India opens up 5-GHz band for Wi-Fi and 5G free of charge

India’s government has reportedly opened up spectrum in the 5-GHz band that mobile operators can use for Wi-Fi and 5G with no license or spectrum fee required. Spectrum prices in India are notoriously high – so much so that in October 2016, when the government put over 2,354 MHz worth of spectrum on the auction block, 60% of it went unsold, especially the “beachfront” 700-MHz and 900-MHz bands. The government reportedly hopes the move will encourage urban Wi-Fi rollouts as well. Mobile operators will also be able to use the bands for indoor 5G coverage using technologies like license-assisted access (LAA), a 3GPP technology that enables operators to combine licensed cellular spectrum and unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrum in the 5-GHz range to boost capacity for their mobile broadband networks. According to ET Telecom, a government notification has designated the 5150-5250, 5250-5350, 5470-5725 and 5725-5875 MHz bands for Wi-Fi services as part of its Bharat Net broadband project, which aims to roll out 10 million Wi-Fi hotspots in India’s rural areas.