In May 2021, the Department of Telecommunications permitted telecom operators to conduct 5G trials in the country in collaboration with equipment manufacturers such as Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung and the C-DOT. Reliance Jio will conduct its own trials. To facilitate this, experimental spectrum is being given in various bands, which include the mid-band (3.2GHz to 3.67GHz), millimetre wave band ( 24.25GHz to 28.5GHz) and sub-gigahertz band (700GHz). The operators will be permitted to use their existing spectrum (800MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2500 MHz).

The objectives are to make the companies innovative in developing apps. They can validate their technology. They can test uses in IoT and Industry 4.0.

The duration of trials will be six months, including two months for procuring and setting up the equipment . In addition to urban areas, they should conduct trials in rural and semi-urban areas. The trials will be non-commercial.

There is a view that such trials are not necessary as the technology has already been tested by several hundred operators after launching 5G elsewhere in the world. This has already proven the technology. It would have made sense earlier when 5G was being introduced globally. India is using the same bands — 3500 MHz — as countries like the US and Europe.

At the most the proposed trial can be used to establish India-specific cases.