Tech companies seek higher power limit for Wi-Fi devices
New Delhi: The technology industry wants the power levels permitted for Wi-Fi and other devices to be used under the
6 GHz spectrum
band to be reviewed and aligned with global standards, so that users can get the best performances and devices remain affordable.
The
Department of Telecommunications
(DoT) has come out with draft rules for use of low power and very low power wireless systems in the lower 6 GHz band, which has been delicensed, or will be allocated without auctions. Once the consultation on the draft rules is over, the final rules will be notified allowing the latest Wi-Fi routers and gaming consoles to work in India.
As per experts, the current power levels proposed by DoT may limit the range and throughput of very low power devices. The DoT has proposed a maximum power spectral density (PSD) level of -5 dBm/MHz and total transmit power of 14 dBm for such devices.
The industry wants it to be revised to 1 dBm/MHz for very low power indoor and outdoor devices otherwise it could have a major impact on the performance of Wi-Fi advanced applications such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) collectively, which demand high throughput and latency performance
Although this increase is not beneficial to applications requiring wide channel bandwidth sizes of 80/160/320MHz, it can incrementally help with very low power applications utilising 20 MHz and 40 MHz channel sizes.
As per
Broadband India Forum
(BIF), which counts tech majors like Meta, Google, Microsoft, Amazon as members, the permitted power levels need to be reviewed so as to permit equitable distribution of devices in indoor and outdoor environments.
'Also, it needs to be aligned with global best practices to enable use of affordably priced devices in India,' BIF President TV Ramachandran said.
He also reiterated the demand to delicense another 160 MHz spectrum in the 6 GHz band so that the full economic benefits can be realised. The government has so far delicensed 500 MHz spectrum ((5925-6425 MHz) in the band.
'The complete benefits of license exemption of 6GHz spectrum band can only be realised when at least an additional 160 MHz is delicensed – bringing the total to at least 660 MHz,' Ramachandran said.
Experts said the 6 GHz band can offer data speeds of up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps), against 1.3 Gbps in the 5 GHz band and 600 megabit per second (Mbps) in the 2.4 GHz band. Over 84 countries, including the US, UK and South Korea, have already delicensed the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi services.
Wi-Fi services are currently offered in India through the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. These are congested and offer limited speeds and capacity for data-heavy applications such as online gaming, internet of things, assisted reality and virtual reality.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
9 hours ago
- India Today
Starlink launch in India: What it means for internet access and free services as Musk takes on Jio, Airtel
The Indian government has recently approved Elon Musk's proposal to bring Starlink services to India. While the company may take some time to activate services in the country, it is surely a turning point for the internet in India. Why? Starlink, already available in 100 countries, is a satellite broadband initiative from SpaceX, and is on a mission to revolutionise internet connectivity by beaming high-speed access from space. Now that it is coming to India, the internet will reach every nook and corner of the a nod from the ministry, Starlink has joined an exclusive group of just three firms, alongside OneWeb and Reliance Jio, to secure a crucial step towards offering satellite-based telecom services in India. The company has already been issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) by the Department of Telecommunications, which serves as an initial go-ahead from the before it can begin rolling out its satellite internet infrastructure across the country, Starlink must now obtain a crucial clearance from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-SPACe). This approval from the national space regulator is essential before the company can commence trial operations and be allotted provisional spectrum. So, now the question is: When will Starlink launch in India?Starlink launch in India? While the exact date of the roll out is not official yet, we have enough information to assume. Before we deduce that, let's circle in what we know so far. Starlink has been awaiting regulatory approval to begin commercial operations in India since 2022. However, the process has been held up by various factors — including concerns related to national security, according to a report by May 7, it took a major step towards launching its services in India after receiving a Letter of Intent from the Department of Telecommunications. Now, with a vital regulatory licence secured, Elon Musk's satellite internet venture is poised to kick off operations on Indian has made no secret of its eagerness to begin. While a fourth contender, Amazon's Kuiper, is still awaiting the necessary approvals to launch its satellite internet services in India, the reports indicate that once Starlink submits its application for trial spectrum, it is likely to be granted within 15 to 20 this year, the company quietly entered into unexpected partnerships with two of India's largest telecom players, Reliance Jio, led by Mukesh Ambani, and Bharti Airtel, to support its local India pricingAccording to a media report published last month, Starlink is expected to roll out plans starting at just $10 a month, which translates to roughly Rs 850, positioning it among the most budget-friendly satellite internet offerings worldwide. This pricing strategy aligns well with the Indian market, where affordability and high performance are often key to consumer competitively priced packages, which may even offer unlimited data, are likely to accelerate Starlink's growth across the country. The company is reportedly aiming to attract as many as 10 million users as it establishes its presence in does Starlink work?advertisementStarlink aims to provide high-speed internet, even in places where there is no network. But how does it do it? Instead of relying on traditional ground-based infrastructure such as fibre or cable, Starlink uses a vast constellation of low Earth orbit satellites to deliver fast and stable internet, particularly to regions where conventional services are patchy, slow or entirely transmitting data directly between satellites and ground stations, it effectively sidesteps many of the limitations that plague traditional broadband networks, offering a lifeline to rural and remote communities across the globe.
NDTV
11 hours ago
- NDTV
Starlink Plans Yet To Be Out In India, A Look At Pricing In Other Nations
Elon Musk's satellite communication company Starlink has received the licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), a key milestone that will take it closer towards launching commercial operations in India. It is the third firm, after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications, to have been issued the licence to provide satellite internet services in the country. A fourth applicant, Amazon's Kuiper, is awaiting approval. According to DoT sources, the satellite-based internet service provider owned by billionaire Elon Musk will begin operations in India within 12 months by offering 600 to 700 Gbps, or gigabytes per second, of bandwidth. While the pricing for the low-Earth-orbit satellite internet service is yet to be announced in India, where data prices are currently among the cheapest in the world, former Starlink India Country Director Sanjay Bhargava said in 2022 that it would cost Rs 1.58 lakh per connection for the first year. From the second year, the cost would reduce to Rs 1.15 lakh, he said. Currently, Starlink has its market in over 100 countries, with residential and roaming plans. The residential plan, in most places, is categorised into two - Residential Lite (for low usage, smaller households) and Residential (for bigger households). According to business news website TechCentral, Zambia is one of the cheapest countries for Starlink satellite internet services in the world and the US, most expensive. Here is a look at Starlink's monthly pricing across countries: In Asia, Starlink is mostly available in Mongolia, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen and Azerbaijan. None of India's neighbours, except Bhutan and Bangladesh, have access to this internet service. In Bhutan, the Residential Lite Plan costs about Rs 3,000 and Standard Residential Plan about Rs 4,200. In Bangladesh, the Residential Lite costs nearly Rs 3,000 and the Residential plan costs Rs 4,000. Malaysia offers the Residential Lite plan for around Rs 2,600 and Residential plan for around Rs 4,600. The internet service is available for nearly Rs 4,000 in Japan and nearly Rs 6,000 in the Philippines. In America, the internet service has been launched in almost every country, except a few places like Bolivia and Venezuela. The Residential Lite costs around Rs 2,500 and the Residential, Rs 4,000 in New York. In Canada, the first one is available for Rs 6,800 and the second, for nearly Rs 9,000. Similarly, Starlink services are available in a majority of European countries, barring Bosnia, Ukraine, and Herzegovina, and Serbia. In France, the Residential Lite costs Rs 2,800 and the Residential plan, nearly Rs 4,000. The United Kingdom currently offers only the Residential plan for approximately Rs 8,700. The Residential Lite and Residential plans are available in Italy for Rs 3,400 and nearly Rs 5,000, respectively. Niger, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique are among the few African nations currently offering Starlink services. The Residential Lite is available for around Rs 4,000, and the Residential for around Rs 6,000 in Ghana. Nearly all of Australia and New Zealand are covered by the internet service provider.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Time of India
Starlink becomes latest entrant to get a satcom licence in India
Starlink has become the latest entrant to get a satcom licence in India, becoming the third player after Eutelsat-OneWeb and Jio-SES combine to offer commercial services in India. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit to the Elon Musk-owned company and trial spectrum too will be issued to it in coming days. Once the spectrum is allocated, the company has to demonstrate all the compliances to the government, including the security conditions. The US major, however, needs to get the approval from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). The company had already provided all the details needed to get this clearance, but the nod is yet to be given. The launch of commercial services depends on the company successfully demonstrating the compliance of security conditions. The DoT is finalising the pricing and rules for satcom spectrum allocation after receiving recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). The regulator had recommended administrative allocation of satcom spectrum for a fee pegged at 4% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) to be assigned for five years. Satcom companies offering services in urban areas would have to shell out Rs 500 per subscriber annually, but nothing for rural users. However, there won't be any upfront charge or allocation price for satellite spectrum. The telcos have termed the prices as unjustifiably low but the calls for a reconsideration have been rejected by the regulator.
