The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), an industry body, representing Indian telecom operators including Jio, Airtel, and Vi has written to the telecom department asking for a complete ban on sales of Wi-Fi 6E routers in the country. The Indian government has not made its decision on the use of the 6 GHz spectrum yet, and the Wi-Fi 6E routers which are being sold, operate in this frequency. COAI has said that the sale of Wi-Fi 6E routers in India is illegal, as the government has not declared the 6 GHz spectrum exempt from license or determined its use.
The industry body pointed out that e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, GadgetsNow, TP Link and more are selling Wi-Fi 6E routers in the country which is illegal. Thus, the body has asked the telecom department to put an immediate ban on it.
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"We would like to submit that DoT is yet to take a policy decision related to the 6 GHz band utilization. Therefore, any sale of such Wi-Fi 6E products, which utilizes the 6 GHz spectrum band in delicensed manner, is illegal and such sale would only result in unauthorized transmissions in our country," said COAI.
COAI also pointed out that when consumers engage in purchasing such routers, they end up becoming liable for the unauthorized transmissions in the 6 GHz band, whereas the real offenders are the e-commerce platforms or the companies that are selling these routers openly.
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The body ended its letter to the DoT saying, "we earnestly request the Department to kindly intervene in the matter and take strict measures to put a complete ban on sale of Wi-Fi products operating in the 6 GHz band, whether offline or online through e-commerce websites/platforms, through an appropriate notification to sellers of such products in the country."
