As the countdown begins to the auctioning process of spectrums for 5G IMT services, which will include reallocation of certain bandwidths used by broadcasting services to telcos, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has advised the TV distribution platforms to take measures to reduce interferences in their services.

“DoT (Department of Telecoms) has conveyed that in order to ensure Broadcast services in 3700-4200 MHz range and 5G IMT in 3300-3670 MHz range can co-exist without harmful interference, the operators of DTH/HITS/MSOs etc. are required to install band pass filters and LNBs with narrow band filters to restrict their reception within 3700-4200 MHz range,” said an MIB advisory.

Quoting DoT data, MIB said during 5G trials interferences in broadcast services — operating in  frequency band of 3300-3670 MHz and which are to be auctioned soon — were reported in the operations of DTH, HITS and MSO platforms as these systems were using wideband filters/receivers from 3400 to 4200 MHz.

“All DTH/HITS/MSOs etc. are, therefore, advised to install band pass filters and LNBs as specified… so that their systems do not suffer interference from 5G IMT systems,” MIB advised.

Broadcast and TV distribution sectors had voiced their concerns on farming out certain bandwidths, pre-dominantly used by them, to telcos for 5G services during their interaction with regulator TRAI that recently came out with a set of recommendations on spectrum auction for 5G services.

In its recommendations, TRAI, among other things, had stated as the IMT emissions in the 3300-3670 MHz may saturate the low noise block (LNB) of the FSS earth station, which traditionally operates in the 3400-4200 MHz, there is a need to make use of high-quality bandpass filters operating in 3700-4200 MHz range.

“DoT should ask the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to take appropriate action and sensitize the MSOs, DTH operators, and other users to ensure the use of high-quality bandpass filters operating in 3700-4200 MHz range to avoid interference from IMT stations.

“In order to avoid unwanted out of band emissions of the IMT stations falling within the FSS operating band 3700-4200 MHz, DoT should prescribe for having a sharp Spectrum Mask for IMT transmitters with an out-of-band PFD limit,” TRAI recommendations said, which had been promptly accepted by the Ministry of Telecoms.

Earlier, even Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati had said that till the time issues relating to its existing terrestrial and satellite services are taken care of, it would be advisable to put on hold proposed auctioning of spectrum in the 526-617 Mhz bandwidth for IMT and 5G services.

“…whole frequency band 526-617 MHz band should not be put for auction in forthcoming auction unless the existing services and future plans of Prasar Bharati (Doordarshan) are taken care of,” Prasar Bharati had submitted in response to telecom regulator TRAI’s consultation paper on ‘Auction of Spectrum in frequency bands identified for IMT|5G’.

Prasar Bharati, parent of TV service Doordarshan and All India Radio, had justified its concern by pointing out that, at present, the frequency band 526-582 MHz is being used by DD for providing terrestrial TV with many analogue, digital-ready and digital terrestrial TV transmitters operating in the band, including in sensitive border areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

The government had asked TRAI to provide recommendations on applicable reserve price, band plan, block size, quantum of spectrum to be auctioned and associated conditions for auction of spectrum in 526-698 MHz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300- 3670 MHz and 24.25-28.5 GHz bands for IMT/5G. Subsequently the regulator had floated a discussion paper end-November 2021.