Mint Explainer | Big Tech left waiting as India’s new spectrum plan skips 6 GHz WiFi

Key Highlights

• On 30 December, the department of telecommunications (DoT) released the country’s spectrum allocation plan.
• The plan made no mention of licence-free use of any portion of the 6GHz band, despite the government proposing such a move last year and even calling it a ‘necessity’.
• A lack of clarity has left major technology companies in limbo over the future of license-free access to the band. What does India's National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) 2025 say?The National Frequency Allocation Plan is the official master document for radio-frequency management in India.
• The document outlines the spectrum band allocation for various services, including cellular mobile services, WiFi, television broadcasting, satellite communications, radio navigation for aircraft and ships, defence and security communications, and emergency communications.
• To keep pace with rapid technological shifts, DoT performs periodic reviews—the most recent of which was finalized on 30 December, following the 2022 plan. DoT has allocated frequencies from 8.3KHz to 3000GHz and expanded allocations to support 5G, 5G advanced, future 6G, satellite broadband, and vehicle connectivity technologies, as per the new plan.