🇮🇳 What India Just Announced

 1. Lower 6 GHz Band Now Licence-Free for Wi-Fi

• The government officially opened the 5925–6425 MHz range*

 (the “lower 6 GHz” band) for licence-exempt Wi-Fi use under the Low Power and Very Low Power Wireless Access Rules, 2026. 

• This means Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 tech can now operate in India on this band without broader licensing, which should significantly boost indoor wireless speeds and capacity. 

• Strict technical limits (power caps) and interference rules apply — so devices must play nicely with other spectrum uses (e.g., satellite, backhaul). 

📊 2. Rules Aim to Reduce Mobile Congestion

Mobile operators are feeling pressure as Wi-Fi becomes a *formal offload channel* — letting heavy data traffic shift from cellular to high-speed local Wi-Fi. Regulators hope this eases network load and improves broadband experience. 

📜 3. Draft Framework Around PM-WANI & Spectrum Upgrades

Telecom authorities see this delicensing move as part of a broader digital infrastructure push — *not just Wi-Fi. The PM-WANI ecosystem and other policy upgrades are expected to drive deeper broadband penetration. ([Telecom Regulatory Authority of Indian 

 🧠 Behind the Decision — Why It Matters

 📡 Faster, Cleaner Wi-Fi at Scale

Before this move, Indian Wi-Fi was mostly on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, which are crowded and offer limited bandwidth. The 6 GHz band expands capacity and allows wider channels — vital for:

• High-resolution video

• AR/VR

• Cloud gaming

• Dense enterprise or campus networks

All of these demand low-latency, multi-gigabit speeds that 6 GHz makes feasible. ([The New Indian Express][4])

🏠 Consumer & Enterprise Boost

Users in homes, offices, campuses and public spaces should see much better performance and less congestion on home networks with compatible Wi-Fi 6E/7 gear. 

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⚖️ The Big Industry Debate

📌 Tech Industry 📍

Big tech and broadband bodies loudly supported opening the 6 GHz band:

• Argued the delay was costing India in digital productivity. 

• Called for full delicensing (not just the lower portion), to maximize Wi-Fi innovation. ([Telecom Regulatory Authority of India][3])

📌 Telecom Operators 📍

Mobile carriers (e.g., Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea through COAI) opposed largescale delicensing, saying:

• It could erase future value of spectrum if auctioned for cellular/5G/6G use.

• It risks exchequer revenue and might benefit global OTT and device firms disproportionately. 

📌 Regulatory Balance 📍

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) took a *careful balanced approach*:

• Opened only the lower 6 GHz band licence-free with power limits. 

• Retained the upper 6 GHz band for licensed services (like mobile or critical infrastructure) — maybe pending future policy decisions. 

🚦 Practical Impacts & What’s Next

 🧩 Device Ecosystem

Even though the rules are out, device manufacturers:

• Must enable 6 GHz operation for Indian devices.

• Firmware updates are likely needed for phones, laptops, routers to support the new band in India. 

 🚀 Wi-Fi 7 Deployment

The policy change should unlock broader Wi-Fi 6E/7 adoption, bringing speeds up to multi-Gbps in real-world Wi-Fi networks. 

📍 Future Spectrum Allocation

The upper 6 GHz band (6425–7125 MHz) is still under consideration. Stakeholders are pushing for further delicensing or clear allocation — this debate will shape mid-band spectrum use for years. 

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🧠 TL;DR

✔ India has opened the lower 6 GHz band (5925–6425 MHz) for licence-free Wi-Fi, enabling Wi-Fi 6E/7 and better wireless connectivity. 

✔ The decision aims to reduce mobile data congestion and improve broadband quality. 

✔ There’s industry push-pull between tech companies (want full unlicensed use) and telecom operators (want licensed spectrum for mobile).

✔ Next steps include device enablement and possible future opening of the rest of the 6 GHz band. 

Thank you 

Aaryaman Nigam 

iQOO Clan Members 

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