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Opinion: Delicensing 6 GHz, 60 GHz bands is crucial to improve Wi-Fi scenario in India
https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/the-news-minute-december-21-2021-abhishek-raj-opinion-delicensing-6-ghz-60-ghz-bands-crucial-improve-wi-fi-scenario-india
<b>Recently, there has been growing demand from industry bodies and associations to delicense 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands in India.</b>
<p>The article by Abhishek Raj was <a class="external-link" href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/opinion-delicensing-6-ghz-60-ghz-bands-crucial-improve-wi-fi-scenario-india-158974"><strong>published by the News Minute</strong></a> on December 21, 2021.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; ">The Wi-Fi space has become a lot more exciting with the emergence of new Wi-Fi standards such as Wi-Fi 6E (the latest generation of Wi-Fi) and WiGig (that uses the V-band and offers advantages such as faster gigabit speeds). These standards require airwaves in 6 GHz and 60 GHz frequency bands to operate. As a consequence, governments and telecom regulators across the globe are deliberating on policy options for spectrum allocation in the aforementioned bands.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Stakeholders are divided on the issue of allocating 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands in India. For instance, there are certain telcos who strongly oppose delicensing these bands and demand a licensed framework with the use of auctions for allocation. As per their <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/jio-airtel-spar-with-tech-cos-over-spectrum-delicensing-want-govt-to-protect-spectrum-related-investments/80138028">argument</a>, delicensing the said bands will put their investments at risk and upset a level playing field. Whereas, on the other side, US tech majors Cisco and Intel, alongside industry bodies and forums such as the ITU-APT Foundation of India and Broadband India Forum, are in <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/jio-airtel-spar-with-tech-cos-over-spectrum-delicensing-want-govt-to-protect-spectrum-related-investments/80138028">favor of delicensing</a>. Notably, the delicensed/ unlicensed frequency bands are “free to use” by anyone, and the users need not pay any fees or obtain a license (right to use) from the government. On the contrary, licensed bands come with a “right to exclusive use” and are usually allocated through auction. They have associated costs including auction amount, license fees, usage charges, etc.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In this article, I argue that the government should consider delicensing the 6 GHz band and 60 GHz range in the V-band, simply known as the 60 GHz band, to meet the increasing data demand, provide a better connection experience, and, more importantly, unlock the economic value and potential of these bands.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Evolution of Wi-Fi Standards</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Let us begin by understanding the fundamentals of Wi-Fi and its evolution over the years. Wi-Fi is a wireless networking technology based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11. To keep things simple, consider ‘Wi-Fi’ a user-friendly name for IEEE 802.11 standard. Since its advent in 1997, Wi-Fi has become an indispensable wireless technology alongside mobile technology. The term ‘Wi-Fi’ is used synonymously with the internet by many users as a result of its widespread use in providing an interface with the internet.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">IEEE 802.11 standards have evolved over the years, from 802.11a to 802.11ax. Again, these terms don’t sound so user-friendly, and for this reason, Wi-Fi alliance, a non-profit organisation that owns Wi-Fi trademark, came up with simplified generational names such as Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, etc. The most recent Wi-Fi 6E [read Wi-Fi 6th generation- extended] is a simplified name for IEEE 802.11 ax standard. Needless to say, every new generation of Wi-Fi brings greater speed, lower latency, and a better user experience.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: justify; ">Benefits of Wi-Fi 6E & WiGig: Case for Delicensing</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">In addition to the pre-existing growth in demand for data, the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated data requirements due to the radical shift to work-from-home, online classes, etc. Dependence on Wi-Fi has increased in parallel to meet this increase in demand. On the other hand, India has only around 700 MHz of spectrum available for unlicensed use, concentrated majorly in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands which are currently used for Wi-Fi services in India. The 2.4 GHz band is already crowded, and the same is anticipated for the latter. In order to support the growing data demand, policymakers in India need to explore the option of opening up more unlicensed spectrum. Notably, the quantum of unlicensed spectrum in India is significantly lower than in other countries such as the USA, UK, China, Japan, and Brazil, all of which have approximately <a href="https://broadbandindiaforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BIF-WP_Role-Importance-of-Next-Generation-Wi-Fi-Technologies-in-Acceleration-of-Digital-Transformation_June-2021.pdf">15,000 MHz of unlicensed spectrum. </a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://broadbandindiaforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/BIF-WP_Role-Importance-of-Next-Generation-Wi-Fi-Technologies-in-Acceleration-of-Digital-Transformation_June-2021.pdf">The policy reluctance of DoT to delicense more spectrum is</a> partly because of fear of losing out on revenues which licensed spectrum generates, and partly because of a <a href="https://tele.net.in/short-on-spectrum-need-for-an-enabling-policy-and-regulatory-environment/">narrow interpretation of Supreme Court’s 2012 judgement</a>. However, considering the recent developments in Wi-Fi, 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands appear to be ideal candidates for creating more unlicensed spectrum. Let us explore this further.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Unlike its previous versions, which operated in either the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz band, Wi-Fi 6E operates in the 6 GHz band. The 6 GHz band contains radio frequencies between 5.925 and 7.125 GHz, and is much wider than the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The wide channels, along with other distinct features such as lesser interference, enable Wi-Fi 6E to perform with better speeds, even in multi-user connected, congested, and dense networks.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Furthermore, Wi-Fi 6E is a new and niche technology, whose market will undoubtedly develop in the coming years. Indian telecom hardware and software companies have the opportunity to capture a chunk of this market in India as well as globally. We know that service provision in unlicensed bands is less expensive, and thus attracts a lot of innovations. We need to open up the 6 GHz band very soon to foster innovations by indigenous companies. We took a late call on delicensing the 5 GHz band which affected the prospects of Indian innovators and companies. We can’t afford to repeat this.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Similarly, we have WiGig – another exciting Wi-Fi technology. WiGig uses the V-band’s 60 GHz range (i.e., airwaves between 57-71 GHz frequency) to operate. The V-band offers advantages such as faster gigabit speeds and lack of interference due to oxygen absorption within its frequency range, making this band ideal for shared unlicensed use. The <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1679342">government launched</a> a public Wi-Fi initiative of India known as PM-WANI in December 2020. PM-WANI aims to promote broadband in the country through the deployment of public Wi-Fi access points. Supporting such a dense deployment of Wi-Fi access points would require a <a href="https://broadbandindiaforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Economic-Value-of-Wi-Fi-Spectrum-for-India-online-19-MAY-2021-accessible.pdf">“fiber speed” backbone</a>. However, cost structure and right-of-way hurdles may be prohibitive for the deployment of fiber backhaul in dense urban environments. WiGig offers a cost-efficient wireless backhaul solution as an alternative to fiber backhaul, with multigigabit speeds and reliability similar to fiber. Delicensing the 60 GHz band can thus especially benefit PM-WANI, because of its potential to provide alternative backhaul solutions.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">It is important to remember that unlicensed bands for Wi-Fi access have significant economic value. Although unlicensed bands do not generate direct revenue for the government through auctions, spectrum usage charges, etc., the economic value of unlicensed Wi-Fi is huge. According to <a href="https://www.wi-fi.org/download.php?file=/sites/default/files/private/Global_Economic_Value_of_Wi-Fi_2021-2025_202109.pdf">a report by Wi-Fi Alliance</a>, the global economic value of Wi-Fi will reach Rs 362 lakh crore (USD 4.9 trillion) by 2025. A <a href="https://broadbandindiaforum.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Press-Release_Economic-Value-of-Wi-Fi-in-unlicensed-spectrum-bands-to-be-almost-INR-12.7-lakh-crores-in-India_BIF-Report_17.05.2021.pdf">BIF (Broadband India Forum) report</a> authored by Prof. Rekha Jain estimates the economic value of Wi-Fi in unlicensed spectrum bands (2.4 GHz, 5GHz, 6 GHz, and 60 GHz) for 2025 to be INR 12.7 lakh crore in India. A major concern raised by telcos recently is that the government might lose out on revenue if 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands are delicensed instead of licensing and sold through auction. However, this concern seems to be evidently misplaced due to the huge economic potential of these bands, as also <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/connecting-india-delicense-6-ghz-and-v-bands-for-superior-wi-fi/2350080/">pointed out by other experts</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Several other jurisdictions have already started delicensing these bands. Almost 35 countries, including the USA, UK, Brazil, UAE, and Korea have delicensed the 6 GHz band, and several others are considering the same. Similarly, around 70 countries across the globe have delicensed the V-band in the 60 GHz range.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Wi-Fi 6E and WiGig are exciting technologies with numerous benefits and will play a crucial role in improving the Wi-Fi scenario in India. Had the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands not been delicensed in the past, could we have even imagined a Wi-Fi revolution? The government must consider delicensing the 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands to bring in the next Wi-Fi revolution.</p>
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<p>(The author is thankful to Arindrajit Basu and Isha Suri for their review and suggestions.)</p>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/the-news-minute-december-21-2021-abhishek-raj-opinion-delicensing-6-ghz-60-ghz-bands-crucial-improve-wi-fi-scenario-india'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/the-news-minute-december-21-2021-abhishek-raj-opinion-delicensing-6-ghz-60-ghz-bands-crucial-improve-wi-fi-scenario-india</a>
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No publisherabhishekTelecomWi-FiSpectrum2022-01-03T15:30:43ZBlog EntryDigital India Needs These Policy Changes
https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/business-standard-september-1-2016-shyam-ponappa-digital-india-needs-these-policy-changes
<b>Appropriate policies will increase connectivity much more than spectrum auctions.</b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The article originally published in the <a class="external-link" href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/shyam-ponappa-digital-india-needs-these-policy-changes-116083101392_1.html">Business Standard </a>on August 31, 2016 was mirrored in <a class="external-link" href="http://organizing-india.blogspot.in/2016/09/digital-india-needs-these-policy-changes.html">Organizing India Blogspot</a> on September 1, 2016.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>There's a "List of 10 Things" for realising India's potential that Prime Minister Narendra Modi </span><span>received as the chief minister of Gujarat from Jim O'Neill, the originator of the "BRIC" concept. Many items on that list are greatly facilitated by information and communications technology (ICT): effective governance; primary, secondary, and tertiary education; improved infrastructure; and sustainable approaches that minimise negative environmental impact. While there's agreement on ICT's importance for India, there's difficulty getting it in place to best effect. This is because policy changes are needed to make Digital India </span><span>a reality. These are the kinds of decisions that will turn the rhetoric about connectivity </span><span>into reality.</span><br /><br /><span>Some changes are relatively easy, such as enabling 60 GHz Wi-Fi, while others require more effort, as explained below. These include better terms for satellite communications, enabling broadband </span><span>on the 500-600 MHz bands, and spectrum </span><span>and network sharing.</span><br /><br /><span>In our land of such range and contradictions, so much needs improvement that everything clamours for immediate attention. Attempts to address them all together are misplaced, however, because achieving results requires goal orientation, prioritisation and systematic action, to direct a convergent investment of time, effort and capital. Also, projects must be done with the realisation that the acid test is end-to-end delivery, even if it is initially to a small segment of the market. Only then can the rest of the iceberg be addressed: consistent, ongoing operation and maintenance, and scaling up. Think of the years of effort, capital and human resources invested without that first delivery in the National Optic Fibre Network. While defining objectives appropriately and setting priorities are difficult, both are imperative.</span><br /><br /><span>A recent report on The Networked Society City Index for 2016 by Ericsson reaffirms ICT's critical role in productivity and living standards.1 The report also shows that better-developed cities are on more sustainable paths to the goal of the desirable triple bottom line (TBL) of social, economic and environmental betterment. ICT facilitates not only sustainable development of cities and often their surroundings, but extends through the networked society far beyond their geographical environs. Even our metros need attention, with Mumbai and Delhi ranking at 36 and 38 out of 41.</span></span><br /> <span><span><br /></span></span> <span><b><span>The Wireless Imperative</span></b></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="text-align: justify; "><span><br /></span></div>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span>Efforts at setting up Digital India </span><span>have to contend with the reality that most non-urban communications have to be wireless, as does a significant proportion of urban access. This is because the cost and practical difficulties in laying and maintaining fibre everywhere is far greater than building wireless networks. The accompanying chart, showing the spread of broadband </span><span>in India at the end of March 2016, illustrates this point.</span></span><br /> <span><br /></span> <span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhzBSMelM-U/V9YMHFgKTAI/AAAAAAAACh0/iEZIIXhGUG8wXyDSTPWvITNxZWPmVMdjwCLcB/s1600/The%2BWireless%2BImperative-2016-03.png" style="text-align: center; "><img height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhzBSMelM-U/V9YMHFgKTAI/AAAAAAAACh0/iEZIIXhGUG8wXyDSTPWvITNxZWPmVMdjwCLcB/s320/The%2BWireless%2BImperative-2016-03.png" width="275" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span>The clusters are around major cities, with broadband </span><span>penetration in Delhi/NCR highest at 58.2 per cent. Except along their major connecting links, the spaces between clusters are more difficult to connect and aggregate, as habitations are not densely clustered. Also, potential revenues are generally lower in less dense areas. Such areas urgently need lower-cost wireless coverage.</span></span><br /> <span> <br /><b><span>Policy Changes Required - from Easy to Difficult</span></b></span><br /> <span><span><br /></span></span> <span><span>Of the many constraints to building more accessible ICT in India, a major set lies within the control of government and stakeholders, provided they act together and are not adversarial about policies governing access technologies:</span></span><br /> <br /></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify; ">
<li><span>There are unused frequencies in the 60 GHz band for which inexpensive equipment is available abroad with a capacity of several gigabits. Press reports years ago mentioned the de-licensing of this band in India. Last November, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended de-licensing Wi-Fi use, and light licensing backhaul with minimal charges. Yet, this asset is wasted because there's no policy permitting its use. It costs nothing to de-license in line with global norms. Apart from additional Wi-Fi capacity, service providers could use it for backhaul from small cells. Revenues are likely to rise, and the government would collect increased taxes. Domestic manufacturers could possibly develop products for what should be a huge market.<br /> </span></li>
<li><span>Another proven technology is satellite communications. This is priced too high in India, as explained in "Satellite communications can drive the broadband revolution", Business Standard, 23 April 2016.2 Satcom tariffs are apparently nearly 300 times higher than in the US, while private sector applications for manufacturing satellites are languishing. Also, there is considerable potential for manufacturing associated equipment, such as VSATs, end-user terminals, and so on.<br /> </span></li>
<li><span>A third area is unused or underutilised government spectrum. The most-useful and least-controversial, except for turf considerations, is unused broadcast spectrum in the sub-700 MHz bands. Government departments, namely, the department of telecommunications (DoT), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeITY), and the Trai, could coordinate their approach, so that I&B and Doordarshan retain the spectrum, while allowing common access to shared spectrum and infrastructure for paid use by service providers. Doordarshan could increase its reach by providing programming and content over these links.</span><span><br />These frequencies would be most effective in extending rural broadband, because of the distances that could be covered inexpensively. There is an issue with equipment, as there are no large, established markets anywhere yet for TV White Space devices, and there is insufficient support for local manufacturing even with Indian intellectual property rights. In fact, we have a Catch-22 situation here: such devices are likely to have massive deployment in India, but we don't have policies that allow these frequencies for broadband. The irony is that developers who manufacture prototypes in India have no access to</span><span> spectrum </span><span><span>even for testing their products, and will have to rely on markets abroad for testing as well as sales.</span><span><b><span> </span></b></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span><span><b><span>Other Frequencies</span></b></span></span></p>
<ul style="text-align: justify; ">
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span><span><span>Rules restricting usage of other frequencies could also be amended through a coordinated process. The result could be policies that treat spectrum usage as part of a shared infrastructure solution for Digital India. Using a shared access for payment approach with secondary sharing, primary holders of spectrum can retain usage rights, while government revenues accrue from swathes of spectrum that now remain unused, and holders of spectrum earn from common access.</span></span></p>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/business-standard-september-1-2016-shyam-ponappa-digital-india-needs-these-policy-changes'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/business-standard-september-1-2016-shyam-ponappa-digital-india-needs-these-policy-changes</a>
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No publisherShyam PonappaTelecomDigital IndiaSpectrum2016-10-02T10:09:17ZBlog EntryArt, Science and Open Electromagnetic Spectrum Culture [ENG]
https://cis-india.org/telecom/news/art-science-and-open-electromagnetic-spectrum-culture-eng
<b>Sharath Chandra's practice based research in the area of Open Spectrum, in a conversation with Dr Roger Malina, Executive Director of the MIT Leonardo Press was published on the Creative Disturbance Platform. Sharath talks about his research, teaching and community activities across various institutions that he is involved with.</b>
<h3><a class="external-link" href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/createdisturb/Sharath_Chandram_Podcast.mp3">Podcast</a></h3>
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<p style="text-align: justify; ">Sharath Chandra Ram describes his work in art, design and open science, and information culture. He maintains the Signal Lab at the Srishti Institute of Art Design and Technology in Bangalore, India. He describes his workshop in open radio astronomy that he held at the International Astronomical Union Commission C2, at the Parque Explora in Medellin, Colombia and his work in telecom policy and with the indian fishing communities embroiled in ownership of the electromagnetic spectrum debates – In dialogue with Roger Malina.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span class="no_translate">Sample of Sharath’s Work: <a class="external-link" href="http://goo.gl/X9hvx6">http://goo.gl/X9hvx6</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><span class="no_translate">More info on <a class="external-link" href="http://creativedisturbance.org/podcast/art-science-and-open-electromagnetic-spectrum-culture-eng/">Creative Disturbance</a><br /></span></p>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/news/art-science-and-open-electromagnetic-spectrum-culture-eng'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/news/art-science-and-open-electromagnetic-spectrum-culture-eng</a>
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No publisherpraskrishnaOpen SpectrumOpen ScienceArtSpectrum2016-08-01T01:31:10ZNews ItemDigital India - Now to Work
https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/business-standard-october-1-2015-shyam-ponappa-digital-india-now-to-work
<b>There's a buzz about Digital India again with an Indian PM finally reaching Silicon Valley. So are we close to broadband taking off, or is this just more hype?</b>
<p>The article was published in the <a class="external-link" href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/shyam-ponappa-digital-india-now-to-work-115100101355_1.html">Business Standard</a> on October 1, 2015 and mirrored in <a class="external-link" href="http://organizing-india.blogspot.in/2015/10/digital-india-now-to-work.html">Organizing India Blogspot</a> on October 2, 2015.</p>
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<p style="text-align: justify; ">The announcements are certainly promising. For instance, that Indian Railways will provide Wi-Fi services at 500 railway stations over the next few years. Google's support tendered by CEO Sundar Pichai offers new hope that this will happen. Other promising announcements include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's announcement of cloud-based services from India, and connectivity at the village level through TV White Space (unused broadcast spectrum), and Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacob's $150-million fund for start-ups in India.<br /><br />There have been announcements like these before. For instance, the Railways announced Wi-Fi projects for years, with modest achievements. For details, see "A history of Wi-Fi and Indian Railways from 2006 to Infinity (maybe)". [See <a class="external-link" href="http://www.medianama.com/2015/02/223-a-history-of-wi-fi-and-indian-railways-from-2006-to-infinity-maybe/">http://www.medianama.com/2015/02/223-a-history-of-wi-fi-and-indian-railways-from-2006-to-infinity-maybe/</a>, Riddhi Mukherjee, February 27, 2015].</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">What's troubling is that in terms of ground realities, except for TV White Space for broadband, there's little evidence of a systematic approach to problems besetting communications, and changes in policies to solve them. Everyone seems carried away, and this is as true of most of the media and the commentariat as it is of the politicians. But informed, systematic efforts at solutions are absolutely essential to achieve these aspirations.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Take the ingenuous comparisons of Silicon Valley with Bengaluru, with the latter being described as "nearly there". Such election rhetoric from former US Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry is one thing, but our savvy media folk should know better. People who visit Silicon Valley from India, or those who are based there and occasionally visit India, can't be blind to the stark differences. One is a place where the basics related to living and functioning effectively actually work well; the other isn't. One has potholed streets with garbage, decrepit or nonexistent sanitation, and chronic power cuts; the other doesn't. It's as simple as that.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">This leads to another observation that's tossed off too easily, about less need for government. Blithe statements that government needs to be reduced, or to get out of the way and let the private sector function, are often made with apparently little understanding of what governments do before getting out of the way. Those essential services in Silicon Valley and elsewhere that function seamlessly and are taken for granted? That's what governments can do. In other words, that is government's responsibility: to provide, apart from security and law and order, the infrastructure services and organisation of communities, markets and financial systems that enable citizens to function effectively and live well. Yes, markets are indeed planned and structured in order to function well.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The data on broadband at the end of 2014 in the Broadband Report 2015 by the ITU and Unesco suggest that India is not doing too well compared with its developing neighbours in Asia (see chart at <span class="p-content" style="float: none; "><a href="http://www.broadbandcommission.org/%20documents/reports/bb-annualreport2015.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.broadbandcommission.org/ documents/reports/bb-annualreport2015.pdf</a></span>). Our leadership and government need to confront this reality, and apply themselves to reforms to improve conditions. Broadband subscriptions as a percentage of our population trail most countries, and the percentage of individuals using the Internet is at the bottom of the pack, with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">To make Digital India a reality, here's what the government needs to do:</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Trials using TV White Space (TVWS, or unused broadcast spectrum) for broadband are finally under way, after years of struggle to get them going. If they work out, policies must be framed quickly for this spectrum to be bundled with fibre backbones such as BharatNet (the erstwhile National Optic Fibre network), and licensed service providers given access at reasonable cost.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Policies need to be formulated with government and operators working together, instead of as adversaries. This will increase the probability of success, as the private sector can be convinced of and contribute to practicable methods that they accept.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Policies for sharing spectrum can be extended to other under-used spectrum held by the government and Defence (secondary sharing, as in the USA), and to networks as well. This will facilitate broad, contiguous spectrum bands that are essential to support rising data usage that is affordable. Policies must also enable authorised operators to access all networks, fostering competition while increasing revenue potential and reducing costs. The data on broadband at the end of 2014 in the Broadband Report 2015 by the ITU and Unesco suggest that India is not doing too well compared with its developing neighbours in Asia. Our leadership and government need to confront this reality, and apply themselves to reforms to improve conditions.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">The TVWS devices are manufactured by relatively small companies abroad with the exception of Huawei, which acquired Neul, one of the pioneers in the UK. Indian innovators can produce such devices locally, but only if they have a supportive ecosystem. That means sufficient continuing orders to create revenues for sustainable profits and cash flows. In a market like India, such orders need government support until new policies are in place and the demand is established. Once that happens, private enterprises can compete.<br /><br />For instance, a chip designer start-up in Bangalore with designs for TV and broadband cards using TV White Space has had to scramble to manufacture complete products to bring their prototypes to market. Without sustained buying, they'll languish like other device manufacturers overseas, with episodic sales to narrow markets. That's because developing economies are likely to be bigger markets for these devices than developed economies, but only after policies allow deployment; secondly, there's insufficient support in developed markets. The irony will be if Indian innovators can get only offshore prospects like Huawei as partners or investors.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Unremitting government effort in the systematic development of basic infrastructure services (at the primary level, besides communications, there's power, transportation, water and sanitation, basic health and education; at the secondary level: communities, markets and financial systems) will round out the potential for India as a producer economy as well as a large and growing market.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">This is the work that now needs to get done: accept the reality of our infrastructure deficiencies, change our spectrum and network sharing policies, plan step-by-step, and execute for results.</p>
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</ul>
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For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/business-standard-october-1-2015-shyam-ponappa-digital-india-now-to-work'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/blog/business-standard-october-1-2015-shyam-ponappa-digital-india-now-to-work</a>
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No publisherShyam PonappaBroadbandTelecomDigital IndiaSpectrum2015-11-10T03:18:15ZBlog Entry