Telcos push for high-power use of 6 GHz Wi-Fi band

What happened

Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea asked the Department of Telecommunications to allow high-power outdoor use of the lower 6 GHz Wi-Fi band, saying it could expand high-speed broadband where fibre is difficult or costly.

Confirmed

Global impact / market context

If approved, stronger outdoor Wi-Fi could let telecom operators widen broadband coverage without paying to lay fibre, which means lower capital spending and potentially faster subscriber growth in hard-to-reach areas. That could affect the economics of fixed broadband for these companies.

Analyst inference

The government opened only low-power indoor and very-low-power outdoor use earlier this year, and Isro warns stronger signals could disturb satellite operations. The outcome shapes how quickly next-generation Wi-Fi reaches Indian homes, which matters for investor views on telecom growth.

Analyst inference

What to watch

1. The Department of Telecommunications has not answered emailed questions, and an expert committee chaired by IIT Madras professors was set up to study the matter. Confirmed
2. Watch whether the government permits higher-power outdoor transmissions in the lower 6 GHz band, as the operators propose, which would decide if this cheaper coverage route becomes available. Proposed
3. Track how Isro's interference concerns are weighed, since any restriction would push operators back toward fibre, keeping capital spending higher for expanding home broadband. Analyst inference

Evidence

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