The ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) has urged the central government to delicense the lower portion of the 6GHz band, 5925–6425 MHz, to support next-generation Wi-Fi connectivity and accelerate digital transformation initiatives in the country.
The request comes in the wake of the Ministry of Communications’ recent decision to open new frequency bands for mobile services, particularly the upper 6GHz portion, for 5G and 6G technologies.
IAFI has sought the unlocking of the lower 6GHz band to facilitate the deployment of high-speed, low-latency Wi-Fi 7 services in India. The foundation stated that delicensing this spectrum would also enable the next wave of digital innovation, support rural connectivity, and reinforce India’s global position in software, augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR), and device manufacturing.
Further, the foundation highlighted that co-existence studies, including those by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Space, have demonstrated that low-power and very low-power Wi-Fi operations can coexist with satellite services.
