Have you invested in a cutting-edge smartphone or gaming console boasting WiFi 7 capabilities, only to find your home internet speeds haven't transformed? The bottleneck isn't your device, but a policy delay in India. The country has yet to unlock the full potential of next-generation WiFi by opening up the crucial 6GHz spectrum for license-free use.
What Does India's New Spectrum Blueprint Say?
On 30 December, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) released the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) 2025, the master document governing radio-frequency use. While the plan expanded allocations to support future technologies like 5G Advanced and 6G, it notably omitted any mention of license-free access to the lower 6GHz band (5925–6425 MHz). This silence comes despite the government itself proposing such a move last year and labeling it a "necessity."
The NFAP 2025 allocates frequencies from 8.3KHz to 3000GHz and serves as an essential guide for spectrum managers and telecom equipment manufacturers. However, the lack of clarity on the 6GHz band has left major technology companies in a state of uncertainty, directly impacting the rollout of advanced WiFi standards.
Tech Giants Voice Disappointment Over Missed Opportunity
Companies including Meta, Google, and Qualcomm, represented by the Broadband India Forum (BIF), have expressed significant disappointment. License-free use of the 500MHz lower band would immediately enable next-generation WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 technologies in gadgets like the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro or new smart glasses from Apple and Meta.
T.V. Ramachandran, President of Broadband India Forum, stated that the exclusion is not a simple oversight but a clear departure from earlier policy direction. He warned that this inconsistency creates avoidable uncertainty, slowing innovation and the deployment of advanced WiFi needed for e-education, e-health, and immersive technologies.
Interestingly, while ignoring the lower band, the plan earmarks the upper 700 MHz portion of the 6GHz spectrum for sale to telecom operators.
A Promise Deferred: From "Necessity" to Committee Review
The government's draft rules on 16 May had proposed delicensing this very band. Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia reinforced this on 24 June, stating that delicensing was a necessity that would provide "multi-gigabit speeds" and "ultra-low latency." He promised rules would be out before 15 August 2025.
However, progress stalled. Telecom operator Reliance Jio Infocomm requested permission for higher-powered outdoor signals in this band, while Big Tech companies sought higher power for indoor use. Citing potential interference with satellite and broadcasting networks, the government formed a committee to study the matter, delaying the final notification.
Simultaneously, telecom operators, through the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have lobbied for the entire 1200MHz of the 6GHz band to be auctioned for 5G/6G mobile services, arguing they need contiguous spectrum for future data growth. This demand has also acted as a brake on the license-free proposal.
The Global Context and Economic Stakes
Globally, 96 countries have enabled 6GHz spectrum for WiFi, with 13 nations, including the US and South Korea, licensing the complete band. A study cited by Meta projects a staggering $3 trillion in economic value for India over 10 years from delicensing 500 MHz, compared to $254 billion if the upper band is auctioned to telcos.
On the device ecosystem, a coalition of tech companies including Amazon, Apple, and Intel told the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that the ecosystem for mobile services (IMT) in 6GHz is immature. In contrast, a robust ecosystem for license-free use, including AR/VR devices, already exists. Bharti Airtel concurred, noting the mobile ecosystem for this band remains "in its infancy."
The current impasse means Indian consumers and businesses continue to rely on older 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands for WiFi, unable to access the faster speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity that the 6GHz band promises, leaving next-generation digital experiences on hold.
