New Delhi: US tech giants Apple, Amazon, Cisco, Meta, HP & Intel have jointly opposed Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea’s demand for allocating the 6 GHz spectrum band for mobile services, urging instead that the entire band be reserved for Wi-Fi.
In a joint submission to Trai’s consultation on the upcoming spectrum auction, the companies argued that the 6 GHz band is neither technically nor commercially ready for mobile use. They advised against setting auction timelines for the 6425–6725 MHz and 7025–7125 MHz ranges, saying India should revisit the allocation after the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27), which will review the 7.125–8.4 GHz range. Until then, they said, any unused upper 6 GHz spectrum should be opened for unlicensed Wi-Fi applications.
The government has indicated that 400 MHz of the 6 GHz band is available for auction, another 300 MHz will be freed up by 2030, and 500 MHz in the lower band (5925–6425 MHz) will be delicensed for low-power Wi-Fi.
Jio, however, wants the full 1200 MHz in the 6 GHz range included in the upcoming sale, despite the government’s plan to delicense a portion for Wi-Fi. Vodafone Idea has asked that the 400 MHz currently available be auctioned immediately. Airtel has sought to defer the sale, citing gaps in device ecosystems, equipment readiness and global harmonisation.
US chipset maker Qualcomm supported Airtel’s position, saying the upper 6 GHz band is essential for India’s 6G roadmap. It noted that countries like China, Brazil and several in Europe are considering allocating the full 700 MHz of the upper 6 GHz band for 6G. Deferring the auction until after WRC-27, Qualcomm argued, would align India with emerging global standards.
Meanwhile, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)—representing Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea—strongly opposed delicensing, saying licensed IMT spectrum is necessary for quality-of-service, nationwide scalability and future 6G applications.
It warned that delicensing any part of the band would permanently block its use for mobile broadband, reduce government revenues and give foreign Wi-Fi device makers undue advantage over Indian telecom operators.