The Broadband Forum of India (BIF), a private body that represents many tech companies, expressed its satisfaction over the government's move to delicense the 6 GHz spectrum band. The Indian government took long to consider whaat to do with the 6 GHz band which was in demand for both the Wi-Fi service and mobility services by the telcos. In the end, the government decided to delicense 500 MHz bandwidth in the 6 GHz band.
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TV Ramachandran, president of the BIF, recently said on the occassion of World Wi-Fi Day that this decision by the government will help with innovation, R&D and connectivity. The BIF believes that the 6 GHz band is crucial for spreading Wi-Fi network connectivity in India. This also aligns with the government's vision of Digital India which is connected throughout.
The telcos wanted the 6 GHz band to be reserved for them entirely for the rollout of future 5G and 6G networks. This is because they don't have plenty of mid-band spectrum or C-band spectrum availability.
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"Wi-Fi is not just about internet access; it's about widespread inclusion in India in the future. Every hotspot must become a hope spot," said union telecom minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia. The government's decision is one that would definitely irk the telcos a little. COAI (Cellular Association of India) along with the GSM Association advocated for the use of 6 GHz band spectrum for 5G rollout. The telcos don't have enough 5G spectrum availability in the C-band in India, said the associations. This could lead to capacity issues in the future. Further, with 6G, the 6 GHz band would be an important asset for the telcos to drive innovation and connectivity. However, the decision has been made by the government now.
