US Tech Giants align with Jio & Vi, Oppose Delicensing of 6 GHz Band
A coalition of major US technology companies – apple, Amazon, Cisco, and Meta – are backing Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi) in their opposition to the Indian government’s plan to delicense portions of the 6 GHz spectrum band. This stance puts them at odds with Bharti Airtel and the Cellular Operators association of India (COAI).
The dispute centers around the allocation of 1200 MHz of spectrum within the 6 GHz band. The government has proposed auctioning 400 MHz, making 300 MHz available by 2030, and delicensing 500 MHz for low-power applications, primarily Wi-Fi services. Jio has argued for including the entire 1200 MHz in an upcoming auction, while Vi has requested that the 400 MHz currently available be put up for sale.
Airtel, however, has called for a deferment of the 6 GHz band auction, citing concerns about “ecosystem readiness” – specifically, the availability of compatible devices and network equipment, and the need for global harmonization.Qualcomm has echoed Airtel’s sentiments,stating that the upper 6 GHz band (6425-7125 MHz) is “critical for mobile growth in India” and aligning with global standards is vital for future 6G development. Qualcomm pointed to countries like China, Brazil, and those in Europe considering the entire 700 MHz within the Upper 6 GHz band for 6G. They argue deferring the auction of the 6425-6725 MHz and 7025-7125 MHz bands until after the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2027 (WRC-27) would “safeguard its 6G future.”
The COAI,representing Jio,Airtel,and Vi,strongly opposes the delicensing plan. They argue that “delicensing is misleading and counterproductive,” asserting that licensed spectrum ensures quality of service, predictable performance, and nationwide scalability – all crucial for India’s digital future and 6G applications. COAI warns that delicensing would “permanently foreclose its use for licensed mobile broadband services and severely limiting India’s long-term digital capacity.” they also express concern that unlicensed Wi-Fi deployments by global over-the-top (OTT) players could disadvantage Indian telecom operators and reduce government revenue.
the government has already decided to delicense the lower 6 GHz band (5925-6425 MHz) for low-power applications, including Wi-Fi. The newly identified bands 6425-6725 MHz and 6725-7125 MHz comprise the upper 6 GHz band.