By Kiran Rathee
Copyright indiatimes
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New Delhi: The wait for faster WiFi speeds in India is set to get longer, with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) delaying the notification of rules on delicensing the lower portion of the 6 GHz spectrum band. Allotting this spectrum would allow for the deployment of technologies such as WiFi 6E and 7, which support internet speeds that are nearly 10 times faster than what India currently gets across its homes and offices. DoT has now formed a committee to do a technical and field study on the feasibility of unlicensed use of WiFi (point-to-point and point-to-multipoint links) in the band and its potential interference risks with existing terrestrial and satellite networks, people aware of the matter said. Latest Tech Won’t Work“The rules will be notified once the committee gives its recommendations,” an official said on the condition of anonymity.The department decided to delicense the lower portion of the band and allocate it without auctions in May, when the draft rules for the allocation were also published with an August 15 deadline to implement the policy. The deadline is already well past, and the people ET spoke with said the final rules won’t be notified anytime soon. The allocation can happen only when the rules are notified.Live EventsThe tech industry says each year of delay could cost the Indian economy as much as Rs 12.7 lakh crore.The delay means the latest WiFi technologies and devices utilising them will not work in India. Experts say the 6 GHz band can offer data speeds of up to 9.6 gigabits per second (Gbps). Currently, the 5 GHz band supports 1.3 Gbps, while the 2.4 GHz band offers up to 600 megabit per second (Mbps).According to the tech industry, this blocks multi-sector innovation, isolates India from global digital advancements and causes missed opportunities that include not only software and application exports, but also hardware shipments of 6 GHz devices, which could otherwise drive massive local manufacturing and export growth.“Every day of delay means Indian consumers and businesses lose out on affordable, high-speed broadband, local manufacturing growth, and emerging technology opportunities. This is not just about faster internet—it is about digital empowerment for every Indian,” Bharat Bhatia, president of ITU-APT Foundation of India, told ET.The foundation is a non-partisan industry association that counts Bharti Airtel, Amazon, Jio, Meta, Qualcomm, Ericsson, Eutelsat OneWeb and Tata Communications among its members.Divergent views The 6 GHz, which is a mid-band, comprises 1,200 MHz of spectrum, ranging from 5,925 to 7,125 MHz. DoT had earlier earmarked the upper portion of the band (6,425-7,125 MHz) for 4G and 5G. In May, it delicensed the lower portion—5,925-6,425 MHz—for WiFi use.The tech industry termed the decision as a game-changer for India’s digital future, which also aligned the country with over 100 nations that have already opened up the lower 6 GHz band.After the draft rules were notified, all stakeholders including the tech and telecom industry submitted their views to the telecom department. While the tech industry was seeking a marginal increase in power limits and additional spectrum in the 6 GHz band, the telecom industry stood divided. Reliance Jio sided with the tech industry in seeking an increase in power limits, while Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea sought more consultations before the final notification of rules.As there was divergence in the views, DoT decided to form a committee to deliberate the matter further. The members of the committee include officials from the Department of Space and ministries of home affairs and information & broadcasting, so that the issue around interference could be probed further.As there was divergence in the views, DoT decided to form a committee to deliberate the matter further. The members of the committee include officials from the Department of Space and ministries of home affairs and information & broadcasting, so that the issue around interference could be probed further.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onbharti airtelWiFi 6WiFi 6E6 GHz spectrumDepartment of Telecommunicationsinternet speeds in IndiaWiFi 7unlicensed spectrum usespectrum licensing issues(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online….moreless
