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2.1 GHz frequency band to be auctioned amid 5G push
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Need for speed: A worker installs Ericsson telecommunications equipment for 5G cellular services for the Jakarta ePrix championship held in Central Jakarta in June. (Ericsson/-)
T
he government is planning auction segments of the 2.1 GHz radio frequency band in a move that may hasten 5G network development as the country strives to cultivate a more technological economy.
According to the Communications and Information Ministry, the bands of 1975-1980 MHz and 2165-2170 MHz will be auctioned for use in Indonesian territory.
Sigit Puspito Wigati Jarot, head of national telematics infrastructure at the Indonesian Telematics Society (Mastel), said the auction could spur the development of 5G services in the archipelago.
“The 2.1 GHz band is very interesting because it is a ‘sweet spot spectrum’ left from the previous generation. The demand for broadband data also keeps on increasing, while the available spectrum is very limited, if not inadequate,” Sigit told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
“So, although [the government is only auctioning] 10 MHz [in total], it is very likely that cellular operators will fight tooth and nail to win this part of the spectrum,” he added.
Sigit added that 5G technology made use of three general frequency bands with distinct capabilities. The low band lay below the 1 GHz threshold and had the greatest coverage radius but the lowest speeds; the mid band offered a balance of both coverage and speed and occupied the 1-6 GHz range; while the high band consisted of the 24-40 GHz range and had the highest speeds with the smallest coverage radius.
“5G is designed to be flexible in its utilization, within the spectrum range of 400 MHz to 90 GHz, from low band to mid band to high band. Due to limited spectrum [availability], the 5G use case in Indonesia has not developed that much and users cannot take advantage of 5G optimally,” Sigit added.
