The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has backed the GSMA's recommendation to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to include the 6 GHz spectrum band in India's upcoming spectrum auction. The industry body emphasised that sufficient mid-band spectrum allocation is critical for strengthening India's 5G expansion and achieving the Digital India vision.
Also Read: GSMA Urges India’s DoT to Include 6GHz Band in Next Spectrum Auction: Report
Allocating 6 GHz band for IMT Services
"Allocating the 6 GHz band for IMT services will provide telecom operators with the necessary resources to drive innovation, expand rural connectivity and support emerging technologies such as AI, IoT and cloud computing," said SP Kochhar, director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).
COAI represents Indian telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi).
Support for GSMA's Recommendation
COAI highlighted the exponential growth in data demand and the need for additional spectrum to enhance network capacity and service quality. It stressed that allocating the 6.425-7.125 GHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) would drive innovation, expand rural connectivity, and support emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and cloud computing. The association also pointed out that several countries have already designated this band for IMT following the WRC-23 conference, making it essential for India's future mobile networks.
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"As mentioned by GSMA, the 6.425-7.125 GHz range has been identified for IMT at WRC-23 by several countries and is going to be essential for 5G expansion and future development of mobile networks while further supporting India's ambition to become a global hub for advanced telecom technologies," said Kochhar.
"We are completely aligned with the GSMA's viewpoint and want to reiterate that insufficient spectrum in mid-bands for the IMT services would imply extreme densification to meet the mobile broadband demand of the county," Kochhar added.
Also Read: Cabinet Approves Spectrum Refarming for 5G and Future 6G Services: Report
Call for Further Spectrum Allocation
According to Kochhar, this also aligns with the recent announcement by Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, at the DIGICOM Summit 2025, where he confirmed the Cabinet's approval of 687 MHz of spectrum for IMT. While the first phase of allocation has increased holdings to 320 MHz, COAI noted a 400 MHz deficit and urged further approvals to support seamless 5G deployment across the country.
This shortfall "should be made up in the subsequent submissions by the Committee of Secretaries, to the cabinet. This will enable rollout and providing of better 5G services to the entire nation at large, which is the broad aim of the government and the industry."
Also Read: GSMA Says 750 Million Gained 5G Access Globally in 2023, Largely Driven by India
Appeal to DoT
Calling for a balanced spectrum policy, COAI urged the DoT to act on GSMA's recommendations to maximise economic growth while ensuring the best interests of all stakeholders.
