Bifurcated into the 5925-6425 MHz (lower band) and 6425-7125 MHz (upper band) frequencies, the 6 GHz spectrum band is highly sought after due to its faster speeds and greater capacity to handle more traffic. Not only is this band essential for supporting the next wave of connectivity in India, but it is also expected to augment the competitiveness of businesses and add convenience to the daily lives of users by offering affordable connectivity. What makes this band highly coveted for both 5G and Wi-Fi services is that it represents the largest remaining contiguous block of mid-band spectrum in the country, with the potential for 300-400 MHz per telecom service provider. Studies suggest that, if leveraged correctly, the 6 GHz band could contribute $285 billion to the Asia-Pacific region’s GDP by 2030, with India expected to receive 85 per cent of these benefits.
Given its vast untapped potential, the 6 GHz spectrum band has garnered interest over the past two years from telecom operators, technology providers and Wi-Fi advocates. While telecom service providers (TSPs) have been rooting for mobile services under the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) framework, technology and Wi-Fi companies are lobbying for delicensing 6 GHz to improve countrywide broadband access. At the same time, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) raised concerns about potential interference with satellites if the band is allotted. Taking the above arguments into consideration, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), on May 16, 2025, released draft rules to delicense the 5925–6425 MHz portion of the 6 GHz spectrum band. Before delving into the draft rules, here a look into some of the key arguments made by the industry and the way forward…
Tech and Wi-Fi firms’ case
Currently, Wi-Fi utilises two frequency bands – 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Wi-Fi companies and internet service providers (ISPs) advocated for delicensing to offer broadband services through Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 technologies. In other words, they were in favour of opening up the 6 GHz band for public and commercial use and widespread access to high-speed wireless internet without merely depending on telecom providers.
Wi-Fi companies and ISPs have stated that they require 6 GHz since the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands do not provide ultrafast broadband to the growing number of devices and bandwidth-intensive applications such as augmented reality/virtual reality/extended reality. Moreover, according to the Broadband India Forum (BIF), 80 per cent of internet data in the country is consumed indoors. It is estimated that, in densely populated countries like India, at least 2 GHz spectrum is needed to meet this demand. Further, 5G/6G mobile services have already been assigned 1885 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz, 4.8 GHz and 7-8 GHz bands, and allocating the 6 GHz band to IMT services may result in poorer connectivity for users.
The ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) has also stated that next-generation technologies require expansive computational resources and connectivity that are significantly faster than 5G – capabilities that cannot be delivered by wide-area networks. It recommends delicensing the lower 500 MHz band for indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi services, with necessary power limits and conditions to protect satellites and microwave links, and the upper 600 MHz band for low-power, indoor-only Wi-Fi. This would support programmes such as the PM-Wifi Access Network Interface and National Broadband Mission 2.0, and foster digital innovation across the country.
Meanwhile, technology firms have reportedly advised the Ministry of Communications to exclude the 6 GHz band from the next spectrum auction, arguing that delays in delicensing these airwaves are causing an annual loss of Rs 12.7 trillion to the national exchequer. At the same time, delicensing the band works in their best interest, as it would open up new revenue avenues for these tech vendors, including integrating Wi-Fi into devices and expanding Wi-Fi networks.
That said, delicensing the entire 6 GHz band may lead to network congestion and slower service when too many consumers use the same frequency, thereby defeating the whole purpose of this exercise.
Telecom operators’ perspective
Prior to the government’s decision to delicense the lower 6 GHz band, telcos requested DoT to include the 6 GHz upper band in its upcoming spectrum auction. They believed that the band is imperative for enhancing 5G(/6G) services in the country. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) expressed that the 6 GHz band will not only support network planning in the long term but is also the last mid-band with a provision of at least 2 GHz of contiguous spectrum. According to its analysis, Indian TSPs will need 2 GHz of the mid-band spectrum over the next five years.
Mid-band spectrum offers benefits such as wide coverage and greater capacity, crucial for rapid and cost-efficient deployments of 5G mobile networks, as demonstrated by the fact that around 70 per cent of the global 5G network roll-outs leveraged mid-bands. Industry estimates suggest that without additional mid-band spectrum, TSPs would need to deploy more base stations to meet 5G data rate targets and maintain expected download speeds. Otherwise, the speed may be halved if less spectrum is allocated in the 6 GHz band, or be reduced to 80 per cent if only the 700 MHz band is allocated to IMT. Additionally, it would increase operators’ energy consumption, carbon footprint and radio network expenditure. This is likely to create a negative customer experience, deter customers from migrating to 5G, increase operator expenditure on 5G (by approximately 60 per cent annually), lead to an increase in consumer tariffs, and ultimately jeopardise investments in next-gen infrastructure.
Countering the views of technical firms and Wi-Fi players, TSPs also stated that the existing delicensed spectrum in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, amounting to 688 MHz in the country, would suffice for meeting the demand for Wi-Fi connectivity during the 2025-30 period.
Agreeing with this sentiment, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association has also reiterated that making this spectrum available to TSPs is vital for accelerating India’s digital transformation and maintaining its international competitiveness in telecom technology. It believes that with the rising 5G usage and data demands, the requirement for mid-band spectrum is poised to grow substantially. It also adds that 5G is expected to fuel the nation’s growth ambitions by contributing approximately $455 billion to India’s economy between 2023 and 2040. In a letter to DoT in April 2025, it reportedly recommended that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) evaluate the inclusion of the 6 GHz band, along with other bands, during the auction planning.
ISRO’s objections
At the moment, the entire 6 GHz band is being used by the ISRO for satellite purposes. The organisation has opposed allocating the band to telcos, stating that it could potentially interfere with ISRO’s satellite operations. On the contrary, Wi-Fi is unlikely to create any such disruptions due to its lower power.
Global scenario
So far, 84 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK and the US, have partially/fully delicensed 6 GHz for Wi-Fi. China, on the other hand, has granted it to telecom operators. Meanwhile, 11 European telcos (A1 Telekom Austria, BT, Deutsche Telekom, KPN, Elisa, Orange, Telefonica, Telia Company, TIM, United Group, and Vodafone) have urged Europe to make the complete upper 6 GHz band available in order to facilitate the launch of 6G in Europe. The fact that different nations have adopted different approaches to using this sought-after band shows that there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Salient features of DoT’s draft rules
The draft rules, titled “Use of Low Power and Very Low Power Wireless Access System including Radio Local Area Network in Lower 6 GHz Band (Exemption from Licensing Requirement) Rules, 2025”, have been proposed under the powers granted by Sections 3(3) and 4(6), along with clauses (b) and (h) of sub-section (2) of Section 56 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (44 of 2023).
According to this notification, no previous authorisation or frequency assignment will be required for installing, operating or using wireless devices for low-power indoor and very low-power outdoor access in the 5925-6425 MHz band. That said, the usage must be on a non-interference, non-protection, and shared basis, in compliance with defined technical parameters. Indoor use is not permitted on land vehicles.
Further, the rules outline some operational restrictions for using wireless equipment in the 6 GHz band. It states that all usage is strictly prohibited on oil platforms. Additionally, this frequency band cannot be used to communicate with or control drones and unmanned aerial systems.
Industry’s reaction
The government has sought feedback on the draft rules. The decision has been welcomed by BIF and IAFI. It is also a significant milestone towards offering affordable digital inclusion. That said, according to BIF, a fraction of the band cannot deliver the full-scale impact required to power next-generation technologies such as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. COAI and GSMA had not responded to this development at the time of going to the press.
An irreversible decision
The fate of India’s lower band 6 GHz spectrum appears to be sealed, with the government issuing draft rules for its delicensing. However, a decision still needs to be made regarding the upper band. In September 2023, TRAI released a white paper on the 6 GHz spectrum band proposing an innovative option. It suggested the hybrid route, where the lower part of the spectrum band could be assigned for unlicensed use and the upper part for licensed use. It also noted that this entails several technical requirements to ensure the prevention of frequency interference between users, as witnessed in countries where the hybrid model has been employed.
India has until 2027 to finalise the course it will take regarding the 6 GHz band. Whatever the country decides, it must reflect a balanced strategy – one that supports both licensed and unlicensed innovation, encourages investment and bridges the last-mile gap in India’s digital transformation in a sustainable way.
Nikhaar Gogna
