Govt wants all telcos to rollout 5G in 26 GHz band before Aug 16 deadline

The government shows no interest in extending the current minimum rollout obligations that require telcos who have purchased airwaves in the 26 GHz and 3300 MHz bands to commence 5G services by August 16.

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) officials drew attention to the initiation of trials by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel this week in the 26 GHz band, taking place in Gujarat and West Bengal, respectively.

They suggested other telcos, like Vodafone Idea and Adani Data Networks, should swiftly follow suit. Both have acquired 5G airwaves in the band during the latest spectrum auction in 2022, but haven’t yet launched 5G services.