DoT de-licenses lower 6 GHz band to boost next-generation Wi-Fi services

The de-licensing of the lower 6 GHz band will enable Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 services, supporting faster connectivity, next-generation devices, and data-intensive applications such as gaming, AR and VR

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Wednesday de-licensed the lower 6 GHz band—frequencies ranging between 5925 MHz and 6425 MHz—which will enable faster Wi-Fi services and open up Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, the next generation of Wi-Fi.

 

How will de-licensing the 6 GHz band improve Wi-Fi services? 

This move will enable better gaming, streaming, high-quality video calls and improved device-to-device connectivity without the need to increase the power capacity of Wi-Fi routers. Devices such as the latest versions of the Sony PlayStation and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices from Meta and Apple would be supported by these frequencies, and could be launched in India alongside other global markets.

 

What does the DoT notification allow and restrict?

  In a notification issued by the Ministry of Communications dated January 20, the government exempted low-power indoor and very low-power outdoor devices to use the frequencies without any licence or frequency assignment for establishing, maintaining, working, possessing or dealing in any wireless equipment. The equipment includes radio local area networks operating in the frequency band on a non-interference, non-protection and shared (non-exclusive) basis.

 

However, the notification prohibits the use of the band in land vehicles such as cars or trains, boats and aircraft, except when flying above 10,000 feet, as well as for communication and control of drones and unmanned aerial systems.

 

What technical conditions apply to devices using the band? 

As per the notification, devices operating in the frequency band will employ a contention-based protocol. The wireless equipment must have an in-built and integrated antenna, approved, designed and manufactured so that the bandwidth of emission and other parameters conform to the prescribed rules.

 

What use cases do experts see emerging from the move? 

Experts noted that the rules provide clarity for applications such as smart factories, enterprise-level connectivity and use cases that are extremely data-intensive, where technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), AR and VR are deployed.  “This move will be critical in addressing India’s rapidly growing data consumption, supporting dense indoor and enterprise environments, and enabling emerging use cases including Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, digital healthcare, smart campuses, and the expansion of digital public infrastructure. Affordable, high-throughput, and low-latency Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming the backbone of India’s digital economy, complementing mobile networks and strengthening last-mile connectivity across sectors,” said  India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA).

 

What was the industry response during consultations? 

The rules follow recommendations from the sector regulator after consultations with stakeholders, during which telecom service providers had opposed earmarking the lower end of the 6 GHz spectrum band for unlicensed indoor Wi-Fi use. Technology companies, however, backed the need to open up the spectrum band for uses beyond those of telecom service providers. “This reform will also strengthen India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem by accelerating demand for advanced Wi-Fi equipment, semiconductors, and network devices, thereby reinforcing the objectives of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” said Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of ICEA.

 

Telecom carriers had argued that the entire 6 GHz band, comprising 1,200 MHz of spectrum, should be allocated through auction for mobile communications rather than being divided for low-power de-licensed Wi-Fi use.