Need entire 6 GHz band for deploying 5G: Telecom group writes to DoT

Separately, group representing technology giants and telecom equipment has called for the delicensing of the band

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has written a letter to Apurva Chandra, the new secretary in the Department of Telecommunication, to say that the 6 GHz band of spectrum should be allocated exclusively for mobile communication rather than WiFi or other uses.

COAI, which represents the three private telecom service providers, (TSPs) Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, is making a renewed effort to oppose the proposed delicensing of the 6 GHz band. It has said that opening up the band for alternative uses would reduce the spectrum available for 5G and 6G, resulting in a government revenue loss.

Only 720 MHz of the 6GHz band, a prime mid-band spectrum, is available in India. COAI has said that the 6 GHz band is crucial for the successful deployment of 5G New Radio (the global standard for 5G wireless air interface), 5.5G (an evolution of the current 5G network), and future 6G.

"Wi-Fi services in India already have sufficient spectrum in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (totaling 688 MHz) to meet the demand for Wi-Fi access in the 2025-2030 period," said COAI.

COAI said that if the entire 6GHz band is delicensed, the government won’t be able to collect license fees from telecom companies. The government’s mid-band (C band) spectrum auction in 2022 fetched a sale value of Rs 317 crore per MHz, indicating the financial implication of licensing.

The Broadband India Forum (BIF), which represents technology giant Google, Meta and Microsoft, and telecom equipment makers that include Ericsson, and Cisco, has called for the delicensing of the 6 GHz mid-band and making it available for WiFi.

The government is studying which sector to reserve the spectrum for by setting up a committee under the Wireless Planning and Coordination wing of the Department of Telecommunications.

COAI has told the committee that mid bands like 6 GHz offer a balance between coverage and capacity, making them essential for rapid and cost-effective 5G deployment.

The BIF contends that licensing the band to telecom operators for 5G deployment would primarily limit use to outdoor scenarios. Telecom companies have said that they would need more towers and radios in urban areas without sufficient access to the 6 GHz band.