DoT likely to agree around year-long 5G trial period

The stalemate over duration of 5G trials between telecom operators and the Department of Telecom is moving towards a resolution with the DoT possibly agreeing to a one year period of network testing, sources said, adding the trials would happen any time in the second half of the current calendar year.

“We are looking at a resolved scenario. As of now, the 90-day period has not been relaxed. But it is likely to be relaxed… It could be any time in the second half of the year,” a source said.

The 90-day period refers to the current DoT norm of network testing, but the telecom firms, have through industry body COAI, have been demanding a full year of 5G trials, reasoning that allocation of the trial spectrum merely for 90 days is for too short a time and will not serve the desired purpose.