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India opens part of the 6GHz spectrum for license-free WiFi, benefitting tech giants amid ongoing spectrum allocation debate.

6 GHz Spectrum

The Union government allowed part of the 6 GHz spectrum band (5925–6425 MHz) to be used for Wi-Fi without requiring a license.

The 6 GHz band is a special range of the airwaves that can carry data quickly, making it ideal for super-fast Wi-Fi and new technologies.

It supports advanced Wi-Fi technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, which are much faster than older Wi-Fi standards. For example, Wi-Fi 6E can deliver speeds up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps), compared to just 1.3 Gbps in the older 5 GHz band.

Debate Over the 6 GHz Spectrum

Telecom Companies (Telcos)

Companies like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea want the entire 6 GHz band to be licensed for 5G and 6G mobile services. They argue that this band is perfect for 5G because it offers a good balance of coverage (how far the signal reaches) and capacity (how much data it can carry).

Telcos say they need more spectrum to expand 5G networks cost-effectively, and auctioning the spectrum would also bring revenue to the government. For example, spectrum auctions in 2022 earned the government ₹1.5 lakh crore.

Tech Companies

Companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Sony, represented by the Broadband India Forum (BIF), want the 6 GHz band to be delicensed (free to use without a license) for Wi-Fi. 

They argue that Wi-Fi is critical for affordable internet, especially indoors, where 70–80% of internet data is consumed. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, which use the 6 GHz band, can provide super-fast, low-latency (less delay) internet at lower costs than 5G.

This is also important for rural areas and government initiatives like PM-WANI (public Wi-Fi) and BharatNet (rural broadband). The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also uses part of the 6 GHz band for satellite communications.

Government Response

The Ministry of Communications released draft rules to delicense the lower part of the 6 GHz band (5925–6425 MHz), which is 500 MHz of the total 1200 MHz. This means anyone can use this portion for Wi-Fi without needing a license, as long as they follow rules like using low-power devices indoors or very low-power devices outdoors. These rules prevent interference with other services, like ISRO’s satellites.

The upper part (6425–7125 MHz) is reserved for licensed mobile services (5G/6G).

This division is a middle ground: tech companies get half the band for Wi-Fi, while telcos get the other half for 5G/6G.

This decision aligns India with countries like Japan, Australia, and Singapore, which have also delicensed part of the 6 GHz band. However, the United States and Canada have delicensed the entire 1200 MHz for Wi-Fi, which some tech companies in India want too.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is seeking feedback on these draft rules until June 15, 2025. After that, the final rules will be set. 

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Source: 

INDIAN EXPRESS