5G Frequency Spectrum in Bhutan

The following 5G frequency bands have been allocated in Bhutan:

The Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) has allocated the 700 MHz, 2.1 GHz, 2.6 GHz, 3.5 GHz, 4.5 GHz and 26 GHz frequency bands for 5G use in Bhutan. They expect 5G network deployment to start in 2022.

The BICMA published a framework for 5G spectrum auction in the country in 2019 which stated that the deployment will be based on “learning from the overseas market and take advantage of the increasingly mature 5G mobile ecosystem and be able to reap the economies of scale from commercially available 5G equipment.”

The BICMA has allocated 140 MHz FDD spectrum (2500 – 2570 MHz / 2620 – 2690 MHz) and 194 MHz spectrum (2496 – 2690 MHz) in the 2.6 GHz band for non-5G use. They can reframe these bandwidths for 5G purposes as per future demand.

BICMA has made some spectrum available for 5G trials in Bhutan. This includes the frequency range from 2580 to 2690 MHz, 3500 to 3700 MHz and 24300 to 26700 MHz.