Telcos laud identifying upper 6 Ghz band for mobile services in NFAP, broadband tech cos dejected

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Telecom industry body COAI has said the government's decision to identify upper frequencies in the 6 gigahertz spectrum band for advanced mobile services reflects its commitment to support the expansion of 5G and future 6G networks.

COAI has lauded the government's move to identify upper frequencies in the 6 gigahertz spectrum band for advanced mobile services in the national plan for spectrum allocation.

Broadband technology providers' body BIF has, however, expressed disappointment because the National Frequency Allocation Plan, which was released on December 30, has no mention of delicensing lower frequencies in the 6 Ghz band, which reflects a clear departure from an already articulated policy direction.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea and others, said the government's move to identify the upper frequency range for telecom services reflects the Department of Telecom's recognition of the importance of mid-band spectrum in delivering high-capacity, high-speed and reliable mobile broadband services.

"The identification of the 6425–7125 MHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) under NFAP 2025 is an important decision that significantly enhances the availability of mid-band spectrum and will play a crucial role in supporting the expansion of 5G, 5G Advanced and future 6G networks in India," COAI Director General SP Kochhar said.

COAI reiterated its demand that the 500 MHz in the band from 5925-6425 MHz should also be identified for mobile services.

"Given India's unique market characteristics -- high population density, rapid growth in mobile data consumption and relatively low fixed broadband penetration -- mobile networks carry the majority of the country’s internet traffic, making adequate mid-band spectrum availability absolutely critical," Kochhar said.

He said each telecom operator requires at least 400 MHz of contiguous mid-band spectrum to meet exponential data growth and deliver affordable, high-quality 5G and future 6G services.

Internet platforms, including US tech majors Apple, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, HP, and Intel Corporation, have demanded allocation of the entire 6 Ghz band for Wi-Fi services.

The tech majors sought the entire 1200 megahertz of frequencies in the 6GHz band for wifi services. The government, however, has plans to de-license the lower frequency range in the band, which can be used for Wi-Fi services.

Broadband India Forum (BIF) said while the NFAP-2025 document is expected to function as a strategic, forward-looking policy instrument, one that reflects government intent, the complete omission of the lower 6 GHz band for which the government has already declared its intent in draft Gazette Notification on May 16, 2025, comes as a major setback for India’s digital and innovation ecosystem.

"BIF is deeply disappointed that NFAP 2025 makes no mention of the Lower 6 GHz band, especially when a Draft Gazette Notification for its delicensing was already issued earlier this year, clearly signalling government intent," BIF President TV Ramachandran said.

BIF said that the exclusion of the lower 6 GHz band from NFAP 2025 is not merely an oversight; it represents a clear departure from an already articulated policy direction.

"Such inconsistency introduces avoidable uncertainty and risks slowing momentum for innovation and the deployment of modern, advanced Wi-Fi technologies across the country," BIF said. PTI PRS PRS BAL BAL