The 26 GHz spectrum is a millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency band, primarily used to support ultra-fast, high-capacity 5G wireless broadband services. This band, generally ranging from 24.25 to 27.5 GHz, allows operators to deliver multi-gigabit speeds and extremely low latency, making it ideal for dense urban environments and high-traffic public areas. It is used for enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), fixed wireless access (FWA), and private enterprise networks.
4G/5G Monetisation: Monetising 4G and 5G: Key Takeaways to Date and What’s Next?
26 GHz Spectrum
Deployment of 26 GHz networks typically requires dense placement of (small-cell) base stations due to its limited range and susceptibility to physical obstructions. When Indian telcos acquired spectrum in this so-called mmWave band in 2022, everyone expected that deployments would happen at scale and users would experience the 4 Gbps speeds as claimed. It was expected that the band would be used for Private 5G Networks and 5G-FWA (which is actually FWA over 5G Networks, as per earlier claims) in India. However, apart from the Minimum Roll-Out Obligation (MRO), there isn't much for an end customer to experience from this much-hyped band.
What is Minimum Roll-Out Obligation?
Minimum Roll-Out Obligation is the mandatory baseline deployment of telecom infrastructure using the acquired spectrum within a specified time, to prove the operator is actually utilising it. When a telecom operator buys spectrum in an auction (like the 26 GHz band), the government (DoT in India) requires that operator actually use it by deploying a minimum number of sites/towers/base stations within a defined time frame. Operators had to install a minimum number of 5G sites using the 26 GHz spectrum in each telecom circle within a set time.
Here's a timeline summarising what has happened with the 26 GHz spectrum (millimetre-wave, mmWave) in India — key milestones, policy issues, who bought what, and where things stand.
Also Read: Vodafone Idea 5G: An Overview of Key Vi 5G Announcements as of January 2025
November 2021:
"During the quarter, we also conducted 5G trials on Government allocated spectrum bands of 26 GHz and 3.5 GHz in Pune and Gandhinagar. We have demonstrated peak speeds of 4.2 Gbps on 26 GHz band and 1.5 Gbps on 3.5 GHz. We also tested E band backhaul spectrum where we demonstrated the peak speeds of 9.8 Gbps," said Ravinder Takkar – MD and CEO of Vodafone Idea Limited at that time during the Q2FY22 earnings call on November 15, 2021.
August 2022:
India held its big spectrum auction (for 5G and other bands). The 26 GHz (mmWave) was one of the bands offered. This brought mmWave into India's spectrum roadmap officially for 5G, raising high expectations for ultra-high-speed, enterprise, and densely populated areas.
2022 Auction Results
In that auction:
- Reliance Jio acquired a large chunk of 26 GHz spectrum in all 22 circles (roughly 1,000 MHz per circle, amounting to 22,000 MHz).
- Bharti Airtel also acquired 26 GHz spectrum (roughly 17,600 MHz).
- Vodafone Idea (Vi) bought 26 GHz spectrum in 16 priority circles, amounting to around 5,350 MHz.
- Adani Data Networks Ltd bought 400 MHz in the 26 GHz band across Andhra Pradesh (50 MHz), Gujarat (100 MHz), Karnataka (50 MHz), Mumbai (100 MHz), Rajasthan (50 MHz), and Tamil Nadu (50 MHz).
"The mmWave, which is the much higher frequencies at 26 GHz frequencies, those are predominantly for capacity, and that's also on the last mile. So, if you ever run into last mile issues and you need some excess capacity, it really could be used for that. The ecosystem for that is certainly under development across the globe, and it's not something that will happen anytime, I think, in the next year or two. So, it'll take some more time. So, we expect that ecosystem to develop over a period of time, but certainly, the mid-band of 3,300 MHz and what we purchased of 50 MHz in that band provides us as I mentioned enough capacity and we will be able to provide a great experience to our customers on 5G," Ravinder Takkar responded to an analyst question about the deployment of the 26 GHz and 3300 MHz bands during the Q1FY23 earnings call on August 4, 2022.
"Airtel has acquired 800 MHz of 26 GHz spectrum across every circle in the country. This is a band that has limited propagation but gives 4 Gbps type speeds," said Gopal Vittal – Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel Limited, during the Q1FY23 earnings call on August 9, 2022.
October 2022:
Jio announced, on October 4, 2022, the Beta trial of its True-5G services on the occasion of Dussehra, for Jio users in 4 cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Varanasi. "Dussehra symbolises the triumph over hurdles caused by legacy technologies such as 2G, with knowledge and wisdom that Jio True 5G will genuinely enable," Jio said at the time of launch.
"Largest and the most appropriate mix of wireless spectrum for 5G across 700 MHz, 3500 MHz, and 26 GHz bands, giving Jio True 5G a distinct competitive advantage over other operators," Jio highlighted its largest and best mix of spectrum, including mmWave, as one of the three-fold advantages its True 5G service offers.
In RIL's Q2FY23 financial results presentation dated October 21, 2022, RIL highlighted its partnership with Qualcomm to work on cloud-native, scalable, and flexible 5G infrastructure, in both mmWave and sub-6GHz, to develop a 5G ecosystem.
"Millimeter wave, which is where we have phenomenal capacity for variety of use cases in the 26 gigahertz band. So, this combination of holdings means that through the sub-gigahertz and obviously the mid-band, we get deep indoor coverage. And obviously as you get into the millimeter wave you have near fiber like speeds that we can deliver over wireless spectrum," Kiran Thomas, President, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, highlighted about the mmWave band during the Q2FY23 Analyst call.
"Talking about Carrier Aggregation. This is a technology which allows us to combine all these three spectrum bands and treat it as you can see in the graphic to the right. You can treat it almost like a single unified data highway. And what that means is when it comes to uplink, which is where most of the constraints are from the low-power devices coming back to our network, we can leverage the 700 MHz there because that gives you deep indoor coverage and, on the downlink, for example, we can now combine the mid band as well as the millimeter wave combination. So, really mixing and matching spectrum holdings with what they're good at and treating them as a single, logical and virtual unified data highway is what Carrier Aggregation is all about," Thomas said, highlighting the usage of mmWave, which Jio intends to leverage using Carrier Aggregation (CA) technology.
"If you take Qualcomm, they have deep intellectual property assets. And we are working very closely with them to create the next generation 5G infrastructure, especially focused on the millimeter wave and the sub gigahertz frequency bands," Thomas also added.
During the course of 5G launches, Jio highlighted the three-fold advantage that makes it the only True 5G network in India, citing Standalone 5G (SA) Architecture, the largest and best mix of 5G spectrum across 700 MHz, 3500 MHz, and 26 GHz bands, and Carrier Aggregation that seamlessly combines these 5G frequencies into a single robust "data highway" using advanced technology.
So, basically, users expected to experience the speeds delivered on the 26 GHz band via CA.
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May 2023:
Telcos (operators) sought relaxation in rollout obligations for the 26 GHz band:
- citing lack of device ecosystem
- saying putting up infrastructure now may not be useful if devices (phones / CPEs) don't support the band.
"Telecom operators are likely to approach the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), seeking relaxations in rollout obligations for the 26 GHz band, also known as millimeter (mmWave), citing the absence of a device ecosystem to support these airwaves," industry executives said, according to an ETTelecom report dated May 2, 2023.
The rollout obligations for the 26 GHz band are similar to mid-band (3300-3600 MHz) for the first year. This means that by the end of that time period, a company has to commercially launch service anywhere in each of the three metros and at least in one city in each of India's 22 telecom circles.
"The 26 GHz was the most sought-after spectrum after mid-band in the auctions of 2022, with 72 percent of the airwaves getting sold. But the absence of a device ecosystem has led to telcos not using the spectrum for their 5G needs," unnamed industry executives were quoted as saying.
"On the millimeter wave spectrum, this is really precious spectrum. It is a large tranche. It has helped us save us the spectrum usage charges as well, so to that extent it has paid back by itself that spectrum, but the fact is that it is still early days. We have got 5G networks. These are currently empty. We are rolling this out, so I think that there is no plan right now to use the millimeter wave. I think we are doing some trials to check the propagation characteristics and so on, but those are more for a long-term basis of it and when we need it, so at this point there is no plan whatsoever," Gopal Vittal said, clarifying a question on the millimeter wave spectrum during the company's Q4FY23 Earnings call dated May 17, 2023.
Read More: Bharti Airtel Provides Insights on mmWave Fixed Wireless Access Plans
July 2023:
"And while we have the 5G rollout underway, what we have done is we have created a very dedicated slice, because as you know we are a Standalone network, Standalone 5G architecture, which allows things like network slicing. So, we have created a dedicated network slice for home broadband activity in such a way that it does not conflict with obviously the mobility capacity that we are also rolling out. So, in a way, we have created two lanes in our 5G Highway, one dedicated for the home rollout, AirFiber, and one still continuing to serve our 5G mobile customers with the best network anywhere in the world," said Kiran Thomas, during RIL's Q1FY24 Analyst call on July 21, 2023.
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August 2023:
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) announced on August 14, 2023, that it had completed its minimum roll-out obligations in each of the 22 Licensed Service Areas (LSAs), across each of the spectrum bands, ahead of time under the terms of the spectrum allocated to it on August 17, 2022.
"On 19th July 2023, RJIL had completed submission of the prescribed details towards completion of the Phase 1 minimum roll-out obligation with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Units and by 11th August 2023, necessary DoT testing was completed in all circles," the official release said.
In its official release, Jio said it has the highest spectrum footprint. "Jio also has 1,000 MHz in the millimetre wave band (26 GHz) in each of the 22 circles, which will uniquely enable enterprise use cases as well as provide high-quality streaming services."
"Jio believes that the mmWave spectrum with the additional layer of Jio's True-5G benefits due to StandAlone deployment, is a critical differentiator enabling it to provide 5G-based business-connectivity solution that will address millions of small, medium and large enterprises," Jio said at that time.
"The benefits of 5G mmWave include extremely high bandwidth and low latency. This can give enterprises looking to deploy emerging and innovative applications faster speeds and less delay than previous wireless networking technologies. mmWave business solutions will expand the market for leased lines by providing equally dependable fixed-wireless services, thereby digitising millions of small and medium enterprises with enterprise-grade connectivity and business solutions. This spectrum is capable of providing ultra-high-speed broadband of upto 2 Gbps," Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, said.
Also Read: Jio 5G FWA Stack Sees Global Interest After India Scale-Up; Jio Private 5G Powering Industry 5.0
Describing millimeter wave spectrum, Jio in its official release said, "Millimeter wave technology will allow a 5G network in which all applications (existing and upcoming) will get industry-leading speed and reliability. Jio network will scale for billions of devices, not millions. Rich, heavy data packets will travel at lightning-fast speeds, with imperceptible network latency and zero-lag. Massive amounts of information will move instantaneously along the spectrum. Millions of small and medium businesses will change fundamentally, for good."
At the time of announcement, Jio highlighted that its customers are using 26 GHz mmWave-based business connectivity across all 22 telecom circles. The telco also highlighted that this rollout is the first-ever FR2 standalone mmWave technology rollout globally at a commercial scale.
Jio highlighted the technology as indigenously developed True-5G millimeter wave technology, extending true benefits of low latency and high throughput to the mmWave band through a 5G standalone core, with enterprises including banks, education hubs, hospitals, and government establishments already connected.
Also Read: Bharti Airtel Completes Minimum 5G Rollout Obligation in All 22 Indian Telecom Circles
Airtel:
Bharti Airtel announced on August 17, 2023, that it had successfully completed the minimum 5G roll-out obligation for the 26 GHz (mmWave) band in all 22 telecom circles in India. Airtel stated that this roll-out of 5G services was carried out in accordance with the norms set by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Commenting on the spectrum investments, Gopal Vittal, during Airtel's Q1FY24 Earnings call on August 4, 2023, said: In the long-term, you may have capacity investments coming from millimeter wave, for example, so that is still many years away because our ecosystem has not even begun today.
February 2024:
Bharti Airtel and Ericsson have demonstrated mmWave 5G functionality on Airtel's network. Peak speeds of 4.7 Gbps were achieved during the testing, demonstrating the applicability of mmWave for high network capacity requirements.
"The 5G high-band or millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum is a valuable resource when targeting densely populated urban areas with large number of mobile devices, homes, and business areas. The high-band, above 24 gigahertz (GHz) offers an opportunity for Airtel to offer unprecedented peak rates, low latency, and high capacity," Airtel highlighted in its February 21, 2024, press release.
Also Read: Airtel Achieves Peak Speeds of 4.7 Gbps on mmWave for 5G FWA
Randeep Singh Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel, said: "The peak throughput experienced during the testing gives us the confidence to deploy mmWave for FWA application. Using FWA customer premises equipment (CPE) supported with 5G mmWave will not only help in delivering greater speeds but will also enable us to cover the large number of users that are not connected so far due to inaccessible fiber connections. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is an efficient and scalable alternative to wired connections."
Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of Ericsson South east Asia, Oceania and India added, "With 5G demonstrations on the 26 GHz band now underway, this is a significant step in showcasing how mmWave can be scaled and integrated into a commercial mobile network. Our extensive investments in R&D have produced in-depth knowledge, experience, and multiple 5G mmWave patents. We possess a leading portfolio in the global 5G mmWave patent landscape and fully own the technology we use."
The joint statement from Ericsson and Airtel highlighted that "Ericsson's purpose-built hardware and innovative software co-design, powered by Ericsson Silicon, places the company in a unique position to fully maximise the potential of the high-band. Ericsson's mmWave portfolio for macro and street macro levels offers Airtel the opportunity to seamlessly bring high-capacity connectivity to urban dwellers using FWA solution."
Recent 2024 Auction:
In the 2024 spectrum auction, 8,700 MHz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band was included in the bands notified for auction across 21 LSAs, valued at Rs 2,734 crores at the reserve price. But no bids took place in the 26 GHz (as well as 3,300 MHz, etc.) in the auction held in June.
July 2024:
Anshuman Thakur, Head of Strategy, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, during the company's Q1FY25 Analyst call dated July 19, 2024, said: "We are the only operator who is running 5G across low band, mid-band, and high band 700, 3300, and, 26 GHz, which gives us unique advantages like Carrier aggregation (CA) and standalone (SA) network."
Also Read: Reliance Jio Q3 FY25 Highlights: ARPU, 5G Milestones, and AirFiber
April 2025:
Adani Data Networks, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises—which had bought 400 MHz in 26 GHz in 2022—entered into definite agreements to transfer its rights to Bharti Airtel (and Bharti Hexacom). Adani had reportedly found it difficult to deploy/use the spectrum for its planned infrastructure (ports, airports, etc.). More about this can be read in the story linked.
Also Read: Airtel to Acquire 400 MHz Spectrum in 26 GHz Band From Adani Data Networks
Ongoing Issues
May 2025:
Reliance Jio has approached the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to use its 26 GHz 5G spectrum for Wi-Fi services, aiming for a hybrid deployment strategy to offer ultra-high-speed broadband in dense urban areas, according to a Financial Express report dated May 26, 2025, citing officials.
Officials reportedly said that this request has been made under Clause 2.3 of the Notice Inviting Application (NIA) for the July 2022 spectrum auction, which mandates that operators must obtain prior approval from DoT to use spectrum assigned for mobile technologies like 5G for any alternative services, including Wi-Fi. As per the clause, such a request must be made at least six months before deploying the spectrum for the new purpose. DoT officials said that Jio has formally made the request, and the matter is under consideration.
Currently, telecom operators primarily use the 5 GHz band for deploying Wi-Fi-based broadband, while the 3,300 MHz and 26 GHz bands are designated for 5G mobile services. According to the report, Officials familiar with the matter said Jio may be aiming to adopt a hybrid deployment strategy by combining the wide coverage of the 5 GHz band with the ultra-high-speed capacity of 26 GHz in dense urban zones. This approach could allow the operator to deliver targeted high-speed broadband services without relying entirely on traditional mobile 5G networks.
Officials reportedly said if DoT grants Jio permission to use the 26 GHz band for Wi-Fi services, Bharti is likely to file a similar request. Despite 26 GHz being earmarked for 5G globally, the ecosystem for large-scale mobile deployment in this band is yet to develop, with limited handset and equipment support available in most markets. More about this can be read in the story linked.
Also Read: Jio Seeks DoT Nod to Use 26 GHz 5G Spectrum for WiFi Services
July 2025:
Anshuman Thakur, during the company's Q1FY26 earnings call dated July 18, 2025, highlighted that 5G-based fixed wireless access has its own limitations, coverage and cost constraints because you are using the same network, you are putting much more pressure on the same network. "Imagine in the Indian context with the amount of spectrum that we get, that we have, and we have a fair bit, still how much can you really scale up just using 5G?"
Thakur added, "If you look at spectrum limited availability for 5G, because those are the bands that the government auctions and there is limited availability whereas with UBR, on the unlicensed band radio, there is much more spectrum available, which the government also provides to encourage Wi-Fi services and home broadband services."
He highlighted, "In the case of 5G, the more the number of users, there will be constraints about how much capacity you can give." More about this can be read in the story linked below.
Also Read: Jio Claims Its UBR-Based Technology Is Better Than Fiber Due to Multiple Advantages
Conclusion
Now, in the present scenario, for the much-hyped 5G-FWA service, as projected earlier, there is no major utilisation of the 26 GHz band, with even requests to use the band for Wi-Fi, according to recent reports. Only time will tell how telcos will utilise the 26 GHz band (with 5G or with Wi-Fi) and monetise their so-called 5G or high-speed wireless broadband services. Overall, connecting the points and the timeline shows that buying spectrum is one thing; finding viable use cases, deploying, and making investment returns is another.
