Private 5G battle makes a comeback

The battle between telecom operators and enterprises over private 5G networks is back. While telcos previously opposed direct spectrum allocation to enterprises for setting up captive networks, they are now opposing any form of licensing or authorisation framework for enterprises to build such networks.

The latest flashpoint follows a recent communication by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to the department of telecommunications (DoT), seeking its views on whether enterprises should be granted an authorisation framework to establish private 5G networks.