India de-licenses 6GHz spectrum to unlock next-gen WiFi

India has taken a significant step towards expanding high-speed wireless connectivity by de-licensing a large portion of the 6 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band, a move long sought by technology companies and device manufacturers.

On Wednesday, 21 January, 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) formally de-licensed half of the 6GHz band, allowing it to be used without charge for WiFi and other low-power wireless applications. The decision follows sustained industry lobbying to keep part of the band unauctioned, amid concerns that allocating it entirely for future mobile telephony could constrain the growth of next-generation wireless services.

The policy change was announced a day earlier by the Ministry of Communications, which issued a notification titled Use of Low Power and Very Low Power Wireless Access System including Radio Local Area Network in Lower 6 GHz band (Exemption from Licensing Requirement) Rules, 2026.

Under the new rules, no licence or frequency assignment will be required to establish, operate or possess wireless equipment operating in the 5,925–6,425 megahertz (MHz) range, provided devices comply with technical and operational conditions specified by the government.

Why the 6GHz band matters

Globally, WiFi networks have traditionally relied on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. While the former offers wider coverage, the latter provides higher bandwidth. Newer WiFi standards such as WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 combine these bands through a technique known as multi-link operation (MLO), enabling devices to switch between frequencies to optimise speed, range and reliability.

The 6GHz band plays a critical role in this setup by offering wider channels and lower interference. Most modern routers and connected devices are designed to take advantage of 6GHz as part of MLO, significantly improving performance in dense environments. Applications that demand high data throughput and ultra-low latency, such as virtual reality and cloud gaming, stand to benefit the most.

A global divide on spectrum use

Internationally, approaches to the 6GHz band have varied. While several countries have fully or partially de-licensed it for indoor WiFi use, others have opted for a more cautious path. China, for instance, has not permitted the band to be used for unlicensed residential WiFi, instead reserving it for licensed services. Some markets have split the spectrum between licensed mobile use and unlicensed wireless access.

India’s decision aligns it with countries that have opened at least part of the band for unlicensed use, although restrictions remain. For now, 6GHz WiFi is permitted primarily for indoor applications, with limitations on use in moving vehicles and industrial settings such as oil rigs.

Impact on devices and consumers

Until now, regulatory uncertainty has meant that many 6GHz-capable routers sold in India have had the band disabled by default. This has also affected the launch of certain premium devices. Sony, for example, had indicated that its PlayStation 5 Pro would not be released in markets where WiFi 7 frequencies were not clearly authorised, reportedly delaying its availability in India.

With the rules now notified, manufacturers are expected to begin rolling out software updates in the coming weeks to activate 6GHz functionality on compatible devices. For consumers, this could translate into faster, more stable wireless connections, narrowing the performance gap between WiFi and wired local area network (LAN) connections in high-bandwidth scenarios.

The move is widely seen as a foundational step in supporting India’s growing digital infrastructure needs, particularly as homes and workplaces adopt more data-intensive applications and connected devices.