India’s 6 GHz Spectrum Battle: Wi‑Fi vs IMT

A high-stakes policy fight has emerged in India over the 6 GHz band, pitting global device and cloud ecosystems against mobile operators over whether the band should power unlicensed Wi‑Fi or licensed mobile (IMT) networks.

Stakeholder Positions and Requests

Apple, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, HP, and Intel have jointly urged India’s regulator, TRAI, to reserve the full 6 GHz range for Wi‑Fi, arguing the band is not technically or commercially ready for IMT and that unlicensed use will deliver immediate, widespread capacity benefits. They also recommend avoiding any auction timelines for the 6425–6725 MHz and 7025–7125 MHz segments until international outcomes, including WRC‑27 deliberations on adjacent upper‑mid bands, are clear—and suggest making any “unused” upper 6 GHz capacity available for unlicensed use in the interim.

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have countered that delicensing upper 6 GHz would permanently foreclose India’s option to deploy wide‑area licensed broadband in prime mid‑band spectrum. Jio wants the entire 1200 MHz (5925–7125 MHz) moved to licensed IMT; Vodafone Idea seeks the 400 MHz government has identified as immediately auctionable; Airtel supports a deferral on grounds of ecosystem readiness and global harmonization.

Current India Policy and Options

India has already decided to delicense the lower 6 GHz (5925–6425 MHz) for low‑power use, enabling next‑gen Wi‑Fi. In the upper 6 GHz, the government has indicated 400 MHz is auction‑ready now, another 300 MHz may be available by 2030, while consultation continues on long‑term use. TRAI and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) must reconcile near‑term capacity needs with India’s 6G ambitions and evolving international positions.

Global Alignments and WRC‑27 Outlook

Mid‑band spectrum in the 6–8 GHz range is being actively studied for 6G in several regions, and chipset vendors such as Qualcomm support India deferring upper 6 GHz auctions until after WRC‑27 to align with global standards and preserve future IMT options. Conversely, tech platforms emphasize rapid, low‑cost capacity expansion through Wi‑Fi 6E/7 using globally harmonized unlicensed rules and automated frequency coordination (AFC).

Why 6 GHz Is Pivotal for India

The 6 GHz band is the only large, globally scaled mid‑band block that can simultaneously change the trajectory for both cellular and Wi‑Fi capacity in dense urban India.

Wi‑Fi 6E/7 vs IMT Capacity Trade‑offs

For enterprises and households, 6 GHz unlicensed enables multi‑gigabit Wi‑Fi 6E/7, wider channels (up to 320 MHz), and lower latency—critical for AR/VR, collaboration, and private networks. For mobile operators, upper 6 GHz is a potential workhorse mid‑band layer for wide‑area 5G‑Advanced and, eventually, 6G, delivering better propagation and indoor reach than millimeter wave while providing far higher capacity than sub‑GHz bands. The policy choice shapes where India’s incremental capacity will be created—in managed, licensed macro networks or in densified, locally managed Wi‑Fi domains that offload traffic from cellular.

Ecosystem Readiness and Harmonization Status

Device and radio ecosystems for Wi‑Fi 6E/7 in 6 GHz are mature and shipping at scale globally. By contrast, large‑scale IMT deployments in upper 6 GHz are still under study; band plans, chipsets, and network equipment are not yet widely commercialized. This asymmetry underpins the tech companies’ call for unlicensed prioritization now and telcos’ push to lock in IMT options ahead of the 6G cycle.

Revenue, QoS, and Public Resource Debates

Operators and COAI argue licensed spectrum ensures predictable QoS and nationwide reach for critical services, and that an irreversible delicensing decision would erode future capacity and reduce spectrum‑auction revenues. Tech platforms counter that unlicensed delivers faster time‑to‑benefit across devices, routers, and enterprise WLANs, lowering total cost per bit and accelerating digital inclusion without waiting for auctions, backhaul, or device refresh cycles tied to IMT band plans.

Strategic Implications for Networks and Industry

Near‑term decisions on 6 GHz will influence India’s cost curves, network architectures, and competitiveness in 5G‑Advanced and 6G.

Guidance for Mobile Operators

Plan for dual paths: advocate preserving upper 6 GHz for IMT post‑WRC‑27 while accelerating alternative capacity now. Options include intensifying 3.5 GHz deployment, refarming mid‑band where feasible, investing in small cells and indoor neutral‑host, and leveraging fixed wireless access to monetize capacity. Prepare for potential shared or tiered access models in 6 GHz (e.g., AFC‑style coordination or geographic sharing) that bridge licensed QoS with wider ecosystem scale.

Guidance for Enterprises and Wi‑Fi Vendors

Advance Wi‑Fi 6E/7 roadmaps to exploit lower 6 GHz already delicensed and monitor AFC frameworks for standard power in upper 6 GHz. Align campus and factory‑floor designs to spectrum realities—use private 5G where mobility, deterministic QoS, and interference control are paramount; use Wi‑Fi 6E/7 for dense, high‑throughput indoor environments. Vendors should localize feature sets for India’s power limits and indoor planning norms.

Guidance for Device, Silicon, and Cloud Platforms

Scale 6 GHz Wi‑Fi support across smartphones, PCs, and CPE to catalyze immediate gains, while building 6G‑ready silicon options that accommodate potential upper 6 GHz IMT band plans. Cloud and content providers should expand Wi‑Fi‑first offload and edge caching strategies to capitalize on unlicensed capacity and improve QoE without increasing mobile RAN load.

Guidance for Policymakers

Consider a phased approach: preserve optionality on upper 6 GHz IMT pending WRC‑27, deepen unlicensed use in lower 6 GHz with AFC to enable higher power where safe, and pilot controlled sharing models to generate empirical data. Tighten indoor fiber and fronthaul incentives so either policy path—Wi‑Fi densification or IMT expansion—translates to usable capacity.

What to Watch Next in India’s 6 GHz Policy

Stakeholders should track regulatory milestones, ecosystem signals, and early deployments that will set the direction for India’s mid‑band strategy.

TRAI/DoT Timeline and Auction Signals

Watch how TRAI synthesizes submissions into recommendations and whether DoT moves to auction the indicated 400 MHz now, staggers availability, or defers pending WRC‑27. Any interim authorization for unlicensed use in parts of upper 6 GHz would be a notable signal.

International Positions Ahead of WRC‑27

Monitor regional positions on 6–8 GHz for IMT versus unlicensed and early 6G studies. Alignment with major markets will influence device availability, roaming economics, and India’s standards leadership.

AFC Pilots and Wi‑Fi 7 Rollout

The pace of AFC framework testing and commercial Wi‑Fi 7 rollouts in India will indicate how quickly unlicensed 6 GHz can translate to enterprise‑grade capacity and whether interference management is robust.

Device and Network Readiness for Upper 6 GHz

Track silicon roadmaps for upper 6 GHz IMT support, radio availability, and operator trials of shared access mechanisms; broad readiness will determine whether India can pivot quickly post‑WRC‑27 if it preserves IMT optionality.

Bottom line: India faces a rare spectrum choice with outsized consequences—accelerate unlicensed 6 GHz for immediate, device‑led gains, or bank upper 6 GHz as a strategic IMT asset for 6G; a calibrated, phased policy can mitigate regret and preserve leadership.