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Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
6 GHz-driven Wi-Fi to boost innovation across India: Jyotiraditya Scindia
NEW DELHI: The Central government's decision to delicense the lower 6 GHz band will drive the proliferation of next-generation Wi-Fi technologies such as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, and boost innovation in the country, union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. 'We have just delicensed 500 MHz in our 6 GHz spectrum, and this will roll out these new, next generation technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, which will result in higher speeds, ultra-low-latency, and seamless capacity,' Scindia said at an industry conference. 'With this technology, offices will no longer remain the hub of innovation. Our homes, each individual home, each rural hamlet, will become the hub of innovation in the days to come,' the union minister said. The 6 GHz band-driven Wi-Fi can offer broadband speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps compared to 1.3 Gbps in the 5 GHz band, and 600 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. Globally, several countries, including the US, the UK, and South Korea, have already delicensed the mid-band airwaves for Wi-Fi use. Wi-Fi in India is currently supported by 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. These bands, however, suffer from congestion, offer relatively lower speeds, and cannot adequately support the booming number of devices. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, by contrast, will fuel the adoption of applications such as 4K streaming and online gaming, AR/VR services, and serve as a foundation for the rapidly expanding IoT ecosystem. The technology industry, represented by the Broadband India Forum (BIF) and others, had been demanding that the government delicense the lower portion of 6 GHz, between 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz, for Wi-Fi. Telecom carriers, led by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), however, had been lobbying that the government identify and auction the entire 6 GHz band for fifth-generation (5G) and 6G services. 'I believe that broadband is no longer a pipeline, but is a platform for progress. Now we have to ensure that this platform for progress reaches every hand, lights every home, and reaches every corner of our country,' Scindia said. The union minister exhorted the industry to increase the utilisation of the BharatNet infrastructure , suggesting that the companies devise fiber-sharing models, empower local entrepreneurs, and drive digital onboarding of citizens for broadband services. 'I would suggest to you six foundational pillars on which our mission has to be based. These are affordability, availability, accessibility, quality, safety, and the use of emerging technology such as AI, IoT and satellite to reach the last mile,' Scindia said.
India Today
20-05-2025
- India Today
Centre pushes draft rules to free up 6 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi 6E and 7 networks
The Indian government has proposed a new rule to allow the use of a faster Wi-Fi frequency called the 6 GHz band — but only indoors. This means Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers can now use this special frequency, which was previously not allowed. Most routers today use the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands, but those are crowded and can slow things down. The 6 GHz band is less crowded and faster. Many countries like the US and the UK already use it, and it looks like India is joining Centre has released a draft rule to delicense a portion of the 6 GHz spectrum — specifically from 5925 MHz to 6425 MHz. This means people can use this part of the frequency without needing special government permission or a licence, as long as it's for indoor use. This move will mainly help Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices, which are built to use the 6 GHz band. Until now, these routers were stuck using only the older 5 GHz band in India, which is already per the draft rules: 'No authorisation or frequency assignment shall be required to establish, maintain, work, possess or deal in any wireless equipment for the purpose of Lower Power Indoor and Very Low Power outdoor wireless access systems operating in the frequency band 5925-6425 MHz on non-interference, non-protection and shared (non-exclusive) basis.'advertisementIn simple terms, you just need to know that if you have a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router, or maybe you are planning to get one in the future, you could benefit from faster internet speeds, lower delay or lag and smoother video calls, gaming, and streaming. But remember, this only applies to indoor use. The new band can't be used in cars, boats, planes, or for drones. Also, only low-power devices are allowed, so it doesn't interfere with groups like IAFI and BIF have praised this move. They say it will help boost digital access, especially for schools, hospitals, and rural areas. It also brings India closer to what over 100 countries are already doing. Bharat Bhatia, President of IAFI, called it a 'visionary' decision, adding that it 'aligns India with global digital growth and opens doors for next-generation connectivity.'However, BIF added that 500 MHz is a good start, but more of the 6 GHz band should be opened in the future to get the full benefits. 'While a notable milestone, this is just the prologue to the full story,' said BIF President TV Ramachandran, urging for an additional 160 MHz to be delicensed.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Centre issues draft rules to delicense lower segment of 6 GHz band for indoor use
The Centre has released draft rules proposing the delicensing of the lower segment of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed indoor use. The move, which applies to the 5925–6425 MHz frequency band, is aimed at enabling next-generation Wi-Fi technologies and supporting data-heavy applications. According to the draft, no authorisation or frequency assignment will be required for establishing or operating wireless equipment for Low Power Indoor (LPI) and Very Low Power Outdoor (VLP) wireless systems, including radio local area networks, on a non-interference, non-protection, and shared basis, PTI reported. The draft outlines technical parameters, proposing a power cap of 30 dBm (decibel-milliwatts) for Low Power Indoor devices—significantly lower than the 53 dBm allowed in the 5 GHz band—to prevent interference. It also includes operational restrictions, prohibiting indoor use of such devices on oil platforms, land vehicles like cars and trains, boats, and aircraft—except when flying above 10,000 feet. Additionally, communication with and control of drones and unmanned aerial systems is explicitly banned. The ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) welcomed the move, calling it 'visionary' and stating that it will pave the way for unlicensed use of a key mid-band spectrum segment by low-power wireless systems, including Wi-Fi 6E and upcoming Wi-Fi 7 technologies. "This bold move by the government is a game-changer for India's digital future. This decision aligns India with over 100 countries that have already opened up the 6GHz band, including the US, UK, South Korea, and members of the EU," said Bharat Bhatia, President of IAFI. IAFI noted that the 6 GHz band is a clean and expansive spectrum range, free from legacy congestion seen in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The spectrum is crucial to accommodate the rising bandwidth demands from 4K video streaming, AR/VR, online gaming, IoT services, and high-resolution video conferencing. "Wi-Fi 6E, operating in this newly delicensed band, promises speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps, ultra-low latency, and greater capacity, delivering a quantum leap in user experience and digital productivity," the foundation added. Industry group Broadband India Forum (BIF) also lauded the draft notification but emphasised that delicensing a portion of the band may not be enough to fully unlock its potential. "A fraction of the band cannot deliver the full-scale impact we seek", BIF said, describing the draft as a much-needed first step towards India's digital and economic transformation. It noted that more than 84 countries have already delicensed either part or all of the 6 GHz band. BIF President TV Ramachandran underlined the need for additional spectrum to be delicensed for maximum benefit. "While a notable milestone, this is just the prologue to the full story. The true transformative power of the 6GHz band can only be harnessed when we move beyond this initial suboptimal chunk of 500 MHz," he said. He added that delicensing an additional 160 MHz—raising the total to at least 660 MHz—would allow two users to simultaneously access 320 MHz channels for high-speed data use, enabling broader deployment of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. "An adequate chunk of delicensed 6 GHz band is required in order to power next-generation technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 which are set to become foundational to our Digital Public Infrastructure. This would serve as the backbone for delivering affordable, high-speed, low-latency connectivity—powering smart schools, hospitals, factories, cities and villages and breathe life into the vision of Viksit Bharat," Ramachandran said. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Delicense lower 6GHz for WiFi 7, digital transformation initiatives: IAFI to Scindia
NEW DELHI: The ITU-APT Foundation of India ( IAFI ) has urged the Central government to delicense the lower portion of the 6GHz band – 5925–6425 MHz – to support next-generation WiFi connectivity in the country and accelerate digital transformation initiatives. IAFI's statement follows a recent decision by the Ministry of Communications to open new frequency bands for mobile services, particularly the upper 6GHz portion, for 5G and 6G. The non-profit has sought the government to unlock the lower 6GHz band to enable high-speed, low-latency Wi-Fi 7 services in India. 'The 5925–6425 MHz band—also referred to as the lower 6 GHz band—has already been delicensed for Wi-Fi use in more than 100 countries globally, including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union member states, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea,' Bharat Bhatia, president, IAFI, said in a recent letter to Jyotiraditya Scindia , union telecom minister. 'In India, where initiatives such as BharatNet and PM-WANI are expanding broadband access to rural and underserved areas, there is an urgent need for additional unlicensed spectrum to prevent network congestion and deliver seamless, high-speed connectivity,' Bhatia added. He said delicensing lower 6GHz band would also enable the next wave of digital innovation, empowering rural communities, and supporting India's global leadership in software, AR/VR, and device manufacturing. IAFI argued that co-existence studies, including those by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Space, have shown that low-power and very low-power Wi-Fi operations can coexist with satellite services. 'Given the lack of global infrastructure in this band for mobile use, auctioning this spectrum is unlikely to generate any significant revenue,' it added. IAFI's letter follows a similar letter by the Broadband India Forum (BIF) to Scindia recently, wherein BIF sought the opening up of the entire 6GHz for WiFi, citing that delays in delicensing these airwaves are causing an annual loss of ₹12.7 lakh crore to the Indian exchequer. Prior to this, the GSMA wrote to Neeraj Mittal, secretary, Department of Telecommunications recommending that India should include the 6GHz band (6.425-7.125GHz) in the next spectrum auction, as these airwaves will be crucial for telecom carriers to support the expansion of fifth-generation or 5G mobile services and will strengthen the country's competitiveness. GSMA's stance has been supported by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whichg represents telecom incumbents Reliance Jio , Bharti Airtel , and Vodafone Idea (Vi). The government, though, hasn't set any time frame for the next round of airwave auctions. Notably, airwaves in the mid-band and some portion of the 6GHz are currently being used by the ministries of space, defence, information and broadcasting, railways, and housing and urban affairs.
