Apple, Amazon, Cisco, Meta oppose Indian telcos on 6 GHz band spectrum

US tech majors Apple, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, HP, and Intel Corporation have jointly opposed Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea's demand to allocate spectrum in the 6 gigahertz (GHz) band for mobile services.

The tech majors sought the entire 6GHz band to be allocated for wifi services instead.

In a joint response to telecom regulator Trai's consultation paper for the next round of spectrum auction, the US technology giants have said the technical and commercial readiness in the 6 GHz band is not established for mobile services.

"We do not recommend setting timelines for any future auction of the 6425-6725 MHz and 7025-7125 MHz ranges for IMT. TRAI, together with the Department of Telecommunications, should review the allocation of the upper 6 GHz band following the outcomes of WRC-27, including Agenda Item 1.7 concerning 7.125-8.4 GHz," the joint submission said.

The tech giants said any upper 6 GHz spectrum that would otherwise remain unused should be made available for unlicensed use in the interim.

The government has said 400 MHz of frequencies in 6 GHz are available for auction, 300 Mhz will be available by 2030 and 500 MHz will be delicensed for use by low power applications, meaning wifi services.

Reliance Jio has demanded that the entire 1200 MHz spectrum available in the 6 GHz should be included in the upcoming event even though the government has decided to delicense 500 MHz of lower frequency range in the band for low power or wifi applications.

The newly identified 6425-6725 MHz and 6725-7125 MHz bands form part of the upper 6 GHz band (6425-7125 MHz range).

The government has decided has decided to delicense (make it freely accessible) the lower 6 GHz band (5925-6425 MHz) for low power applications mainly wifi.

Vodafone Idea has demanded putting 400 MHz of spectrum that is available for use for sale in the upcoming auction.

Airtel, too, has sought deferment of the auction of 6 GHz band due to challenges related to ecosystem readiness in the band, in terms of device availability, network equipment, and global harmonisation.

US-based chipset major Qualcomm, however, has echoed views similar to Airtel.

"The upper 6 GHz band is critical for mobile growth in India and it may be noted that several other countries like China, Brazil and European countries are considering the entire 700 MHz in this Upper 6 GHz band for 6G. By deferring the auction of the 6425-6725 MHz and 7025-7125 MHz bands until after WRC-27, India safeguards its 6G future, aligns with global standards, and honours its leadership aspirations," Qualcomm said.

Telecom industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, etc, has opposed delicensing of the 6 GHz band.

"Delicensing is misleading and counterproductive. Licensed IMT spectrum ensures quality-of-service, predictable performance and nationwide scalability, all of which are vital for Digital Bharat and 6G applications such as connected mobility, automation and industrial networks," COAI said.

It said delicensing even a part of the 6 GHz band will be an irreversible action, permanently foreclosing its use for licensed mobile broadband services and severely limiting India's long-term digital capacity and provision of affordable services.

"Moreover, unlicensed Wi-Fi deployments by global OTT players and device manufacturers could preclude licensed usage in the band, reduce exchequer revenues and give disproportionate advantage to foreign OTT players, creating an inequitable environment for telecom operators," COAI said.