The Radio frequency determination committee has listed the possible frequency bands for the 5G network in Nepal. Earlier NTA and The National Frequency Management Forum had recommended the possible Spectrum bands to use for 5G in Nepal. As per the new Radio frequency Policy of Telecom services 2080, here we have discussed the frequency bands for the next generation mobile network.
Do Checkout: Cellular Frequency bands used in Nepal
MoCIT Minister along with experts from NTA and ministry sat on a meeting and come with a concrete frequency strategy for all mobile technologies including 5G. As a matter of fact, all the frequency bands have been made technology neutral that means any band can be used for any technology (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G). And also, the operators have to compete for the frequency auction to get the frequency spectrum. But first of all, NTA has to award 5G license to the telcos.
So here are the 5G Frequency bands in three different segments, namely low band, mid band, and high band, as per the allotment. The telcos need to have a mix of two spectrum bands in low and mid band to have a better 5G experience for the users.
Low band for 5G
For the low spectrum 5G bands, they have chosen 700MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz. The frequency bandwidth to assign in low bands are 10 to 15 MHz. Among these bands, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz are already in use whereas the 700 MHz is completely new for Nepal. So, for a new 5G network, telcos can go for 700 MHz in low band.
Mid band for 5G
For the Mid bands, they have selected 2100MHz, 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz and 3700 MHz. These Sub 6 GHz bands are the most popular spectrum bands for 5G due to the availability of wide bandwidth. Nepal has not used any of these spectrums for the existing mobile networks. Among them, 2600 MHz is currently being used for 5G trials with Nepal Telecom. However, the most widely used 5G frequency band in the world is 3700 MHz, part of which also belongs to satellite C-band. So, careful frequency assignment needs to be done in this n77 band. The frequency bandwidth to allocate in this mid-band shoots from 20 MHz to 100 MHz.
High band for 5G
Similarly, for the high band, they decided to use the 26 GHz spectrum to use for 5G. The high band is also called the mmWave spectrum, which is still limited to a few countries and a few places within them. The latest iPhones also supports this 5G mmWave network available in those limited countries. This high band in 5G has the largest frequency bandwidth available and can provide ultra-high speed. The policy has recommended providing 400 MHz to 1 GHz bandwidth.
Recommended read: Confusion between 5G and 5GHz band.
NTA first awarded the 2600 MHz band to Nepal Telecom for the 5G trial. And then revoked the spectrum before the operator took it to the public. Later, NTA will award the 5G license and open the Spectrum auction among these bands in Nepal. As the telcos like Ntc and Ncell are awaiting this Spectrum allocation for 5G network, they are to lobby for this decision to happen soon.
Free 5G Spectrum for sometime
Since the 5G technology is very expensive at the moment, it would be great if the government/NTA provides spectrum for free of cost for some time till the market becomes ready with the 5G ecosystem. For now, the 5G device in the Nepal market is very low and telcos investing on 5G will not make huge money. So, to make up for this, government should intervene to fast pace the 5G adoption in the whole country. As a matter of fact, the country needs 5G in the rural areas, for more inclusive participation in the digital economy.
As the decision has been taken to allow technology neutrality for all frequency bands, telcos can also implement the already allocated frequency spectrum for the 5G Network.
With the above information, you should be careful while buying a 5G phone to use when the 5G network becomes available in Nepal. Please make sure that the low and mid bands are supported in the 5G smartphone you are buying.
Well, we have a separate post to answer if we need a 5G network in Nepal at the moment. But definitely, we need to prepare in advance by fulfilling all the requirements for the next-generation 5G network.
Tell us if you find these frequency bands on your phone, to make it ready for the upcoming 5G mobile network. For which, you need to check 4G, 5G band support on your smartphone.
