A new fault line has emerged in India’s digital landscape, with some of the world’s biggest technology companies urging caution just as Indian telecom operators push ahead. Apple, Amazon, Meta, Cisco and others have told TRAI that the 6 GHz band should not be handed over to mobile networks yet, arguing it is better used to strengthen India’s expanding Wi-Fi ecosystem.
Global tech majors submitted a joint response to TRAI’s spectrum consultation, challenging Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea’s push to auction the 6 GHz band for future 5G and 6G use. According to these companies, the upper portion of the band is not technically ready for mobile services and is still under evaluation internationally.
They want regulators to keep the 6425–7125 MHz range unlicensed for now, allowing wider, faster and more affordable Wi-Fi, something they say benefits consumers, small businesses and India’s digital economy more immediately than reallocating it to telecom operators.
Global players have also urged the government to revisit the band only after 2027, when the next World Radiocommunication Conference is expected to lay down clearer global norms for upper-6 GHz usage.
India has already delicensed 500 MHz in the lower 6 GHz band, while about 400 MHz is likely to be auctioned soon. However, Jio wants the entire 1,200 MHz opened for IMT services to support future network growth.
Telecom operators, represented by COAI, argue that delicensing more spectrum will weaken mobile network capacity, hurt long-term planning and reduce government auction revenues.
Chipmaker Qualcomm has echoed Big Tech’s stance, saying India should wait for global clarity before moving the upper 6 GHz band into mobile services.
With both sides presenting sharply different priorities, telcos pushing for future mobile capacity and tech giants backing robust public Wi-Fi, TRAI now faces the challenge of balancing immediate connectivity needs with longer-term spectrum strategy.
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