Centre issues draft rules to delicense chunk of 6 GHz band for indoor use

New Delhi: The Centre has notified the draft rules to delicense the lower chunk of 6 GHz band for unlicensed indoor use, a move that experts say will benefit the Wi-Fi broadband space by opening up data-intensive applications.

These rules shall be applicable in the 5925 – 6425 MHz band, the draft said.

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"No authorisation or frequency assignment shall be required to establish, maintain, work, possess or deal in any wireless equipment for the purpose of Lower Power Indoor and Very Low Poweroutdoor wireless access systems, including radio local area networks operating in the frequency band 5925-6425 MHz on noninterference, non-protection and shared (nonexclusive) basis...," the draft notification said stipulating some technical parameters.

For Low Power Indoor devices, the power output is proposed to be capped at 30 dBm or decibel-milliwatts (vs. 53 dBm in 5 GHz) to avoid interference.

It has also spelt out some operational restrictions, prohibiting use on oil platforms, among them.

"...Indoor use is prohibited on Land vehicles (that is cars, trains) and boats, aircraft except when flying above 10,000 feet...Communication with and control of Drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems is prohibited," it said.

The ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI) described the decision to delicense the lower 500 MHz of the 6 GHz band as "visionary" and said it paves the way for unlicensed use of this critical mid-band spectrum by low power and very low power wireless access systems, including next-generation Wi-Fi technologies such as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

IAFI said it has been a firm advocate for delicensing the lower 6 GHz band for several years, given the tremendous potential of this spectrum to unlock new possibilities for digital inclusion, local manufacturing, and economic growth.

"This bold move by the government is a game-changer for India’s digital future. This decision aligns India with over 100 countries that have already opened up the 6GHz band, including the US, UK, South Korea, and members of the EU," Bharat Bhatia, President of IAFI, said.

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