6GHz spectrum: Jio, Airtel and Vodafone send SOS to the government

Indian telecom industry body COAI has sent an SOS letter to the telecom minister, claiming that the Indian delegation at the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 is deviating from the agreed-upon stand on the 6 GHz band spectrum. COAI’s key members include Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea. They want the 6 GHz band spectrum to be earmarked for 5G services, as it would lower the cost of network rollout. The global telecom industry body GSMA also supports this, stating that the 6 GHz band is the only large contiguous block of mid-band spectrum that can deliver affordable 5G services. The Broadband India Forum, representing tech companies, has demanded that the spectrum in the 6 GHz band be allocated for WiFi services.