The GSMA previously said that India should identify and support 6 GHz spectrum for the expansion of 5G services

Indian carrier Reliance Jio Infocomm said that the 6 GHz spectrum will be key for the provision of ubiquitous 5G coverage across the country, according to local press reports.

The telco has recently suggested that the Indian government should not de-license the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi services, which had been sought by local tech companies that aim to provide Wi-Fi via the 6 GHz spectrum. Jio, along with the telecom industry body GSMA, have been stating that the 6 GHz spectrum is important for offering 5G as the current available bandwidth in the mid-band is not enough to deliver sufficient 5G coverage in India.

“As 6 GHz band is the only mid-band spectrum available for IMT services, the full 6 GHz (1200 MHz i.e. 5925-7125 MHz) band should be earmarked for IMT so that around 300-400 megahertz are available to each of the TSP for growth of 5G and introduction of 6G services,” Jio said in its counter comments on Indian telecom regulator Trai’s consultation paper on promoting 5G transformation.

“Delicensing of spectrum not only create a cost arbitrage between the operator providing services on licensed spectrum and other operators but will also leads to huge loss to the country’s treasury,” Jio added.

Jio also said that the countries that have delicensed the 6 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi services are now facing difficulty in reversing their decision when a large part of the band is being considered for IMT in WRC-23.

Last year, the GSMA said that India should identify and support 6 GHz spectrum for the expansion of 5G services across the country. In a letter to India’s communications minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the GSMA said: “The 6 GHz range is the primary mid-band spectrum to meet the needs for 5G expansion and its timely availability will drive cost-efficient network deployment, help lower the broadband usage gap and support digital inclusion.”

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) also highlighted that the government should award the 6 GHz spectrum band for the provision of mobile services in India, adding that allocating the 6 GHz band to public Wi-Fi companies would represent a revenue loss for the country’s treasury.

However, Delhi-based Broadband India Forum believes that the government should either delicense a portion of 6 GHz band or make complete spectrum available for public Wi-Fi services in the country.