Tech Giants Contest 6 GHz Spectrum Allocation for Indian Mobile Services

Major U.S. tech companies including Apple, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, HP, and Intel have jointly opposed requests from Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea to allocate the 6 GHz spectrum band for mobile services. Instead, the companies advocate reserving the entire 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi use.

In a response to India’s telecom regulator TRAI, the U.S. tech firms argued that the 6 GHz band is not yet technically or commercially ready for mobile use. They recommended avoiding any timeline for auctioning the 6425-6725 MHz and 7025-7125 MHz ranges and suggested reviewing the matter after the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 (WRC-27).

The Indian government has identified 400 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for auction, plans to free up 300 MHz more by 2030, and has decided to delicense 500 MHz in the lower 6 GHz band for low-power, Wi-Fi applications. However, Reliance Jio wants the full 1200 MHz of 6 GHz spectrum to be auctioned.

Vodafone Idea supports putting the 400 MHz available into the upcoming auction. Airtel, meanwhile, has urged delaying the auction due to lack of device and equipment ecosystem readiness. Qualcomm backed Airtel’s view, suggesting that India should wait until after WRC-27 to retain alignment with global 6G strategies.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, has strongly opposed delicensing. COAI argues that licensed spectrum ensures quality service, better scalability, and is essential for India’s digital future. It warned that allocating parts of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use could restrict future mobile broadband capabilities and favor foreign tech players.

6 GHz,Wi-Fi spectrum,TRAI,Mobile services,Delicensing