According to industry executives, some technology companies were unable to launch these gadgets in the country because the WiFi spectrum in the 6GHz band was unavailable.
For instance, in November, Sony said its PlayStation 5 Pro won’t be released in India in the absence of the 6GHz band. “PS5 Pro will not be available in some countries (which currently includes India) where the 6 GHz wireless band used in IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) has not yet been allowed,” the company had said in a statement.
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“No Authorization 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, including radio local area networks operating in the frequency band 5925-6425 MHz,” the communications ministry said in a notification stating draft rules.
The usage of the band must be on a non-interference, non-protection, and shared basis, the notification said. Currently, the band is being used by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for satellite operations.
Further, the opening up of the band will also allow WiFi 6E and 7 technologies to mark their presence in the country. The technology requires a high bandwidth. Besides, many other telecom equipment makers are waiting for regulatory clarity before launching WiFi 6E-compatible routers.
Firms at loggerheads
The draft rules issued by the government assume significance as telecom operators, and technology companies such as Google, and Meta, were at loggerheads over the 6GHz band. Technology companies wanted the band to be delicensed and provided free to use to improve WiFi services, while telecom operators wanted the band for 6G services.
The government also recently approved the 600MHz out of the 1200MHz spectrum available in the 6GHz band for telecom operators through auction. For operators, the upper portion, approved for auction, is in the range of 6425-7125MHz. The band is essential for the upcoming 6G services.
Currently, home WiFi routers operate in the 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands. Analysts say that once the band is upgraded to 6GHz, home broadband speeds and performance can be improved.
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The Broadband India Forum, which represents companies like Google and Meta, has welcomed the government’s draft notification to exempt the lower portion of the 6GHz band (5925–6425MHz band from licensing, which is a 500MHz chunk. The forum, however, has argued for the licence-free use of an additional 160MHz spectrum in the band.
“A fraction of the band cannot deliver the full-scale impact we seek. 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,” said T.V. Ramachandran, president of the Broadband India Forum.
According to Ramachandran, it is a good beginning—but the country is still scratching the surface with a somewhat delayed and limited spectrum allocation. He said WiFi 6E and 7 technologies with additional spectrum would serve as the backbone for delivering affordable, high-speed, low-latency connectivity—powering smart schools, hospitals, factories, cities and villages.
Price problems
“The opening up of the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi will benefit consumers as they will be able to get choices from technology companies on the latest gadgets using 6E and 7 technologies,” said Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst at research firm Techarc.
According to Kawoosa, despite the consumer choices and benefits for companies, the demand for new generation gadgets is expected to be limited in a country like India, owing to higher prices.
Apple’s Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset, which also has not been launched in India, uses Wi-Fi 6 technology and requires a high bandwidth. Analysts said Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, which are available in India starting Monday at ₹29,900 onwards, will also benefit and perform efficiently once the government opens up the 6GHz band, according to analysts.
At an industry event in New Delhi last year, Alan Norman, director of public policy at Meta, said, “Globally, billions of Wi-Fi devices are scheduled to be shipped this year (2024) in the 6GHz band. This is an opportunity cost for India as it is not getting to experience this.”
According to Norman, 200 companies have devices authorized to use the full 6GHz band.
“The government’s decision to delicense only the lower 6GHz band is both technically sound and strategically wise,” said Parag Kar, an independent telecom sector analyst and spectrum expert.
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According to Kar, the decision will boost the current home broadband performance through Wi-Fi 7.
The draft rules specified by the government also mention several operational restrictions for the use of wireless equipment in the 6 GHz band. The government said all usage is strictly prohibited on oil platforms.
Restrictions on use
Additionally, indoor use is not allowed on land vehicles such as cars and trains, as well as on boats and aircraft, except when the aircraft is flying above 10,000 feet. The rules also explicitly prohibit communicating with or controlling drones and unmanned aerial systems using this frequency band.
Globally, more than 84 countries, including the US, have delicensed at least 500MHz of the 6GHz band for WiFi and innovation.
