Global tech giants urge India to delay 6GHz spectrum auction
What's the story
Major tech companies, including Apple, Amazon, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, and Intel, have cautioned against the rushed auction of the upper 6GHz band for mobile services in India. In a joint submission to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), they argued that such a step would be "premature" and could result in years of under-utilized airwaves due to insufficient technical and commercial preparedness.
Technical challenges
Concerns over performance limitations and market readiness
The tech giants have raised concerns over serious performance limitations in the upper 6GHz band, particularly in uplink capacity and indoor reliability. They argue that these issues are critical to service quality and remain unresolved. The companies also pointed out weak global demand for this spectrum, citing Hong Kong's recent auction as an example of low participation and unsold spectrum.
Global trends
Unlicensed use of 6GHz band shows promise
The tech giants emphasized that unlicensed use of the full 6GHz band is already benefiting consumers worldwide. Countries like the US, Canada, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia have adopted Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 across this entire spectrum range. They also noted that millions of low-power 6GHz Wi-Fi devices operate in the US without causing any harmful interference to incumbent broadcasting services.
Market readiness
India faces unresolved challenges in upper 6GHz band
The tech giants have warned that India still has unresolved coexistence challenges for IMT in the upper 6GHz band, which could delay real-world consumer benefits. They urged TRAI and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) not to set any timelines for IMT auctions in these ranges. Instead, they suggested reviewing this band after WRC-27's outcomes, which will consider the wider 6-8GHz range.
Industry response
MAIT echoes tech giants' concerns over 6GHz spectrum auction
The Manufacturers's Association for Information Technology (MAIT) has also echoed the industry giants' concerns and urged TRAI to defer any auction. MAIT director general Suhail Zaidi warned that devices and infrastructure are not ready yet. He cautioned that India risks technological isolation if it moves ahead before Europe and other major markets finalize their own 6GHz frameworks.