Chipmakers, telcos clash over 6GHz band for Wi-Fi 7 rollout
Chipmakers like Qualcomm are pushing the Indian government to delicense a portion of the 6GHz spectrum band to support the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology. However, telecom operators are mounting a pushback seeking for the band to remain licensed and available for cellular connectivity.
As a result, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has been putting off its decision on delicensing the band with telecom operators, broadband providers as well as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) caught in the tussle. So, Wi-Fi 7 enabled products are not being allowed to enter the market, with the PlayStation 5 Pro the most recent example.
To work around this, chipset makers like Qualcomm and MediaTek are pushing ahead with Wi-Fi 7 products in India. A top Qualcomm executive said that gearmakers are currently working around the ban by not opting for 6GHz support in new routers. Instead, they continue to support 2.5GHz and 5GHz bands which are combined to give a higher bandwidth. The 6GHz spectrum, which spans from 5925-7125MHz, is considered ideal for both 5G services and Wi-Fi use due to its capability to deliver higher bandwidth. Telcos fear that free use of the band for Wi-Fi would eat into their revenue. Even ISRO has raised concerns about potential interference with its satellite operations if the band is used for cellular connectivity.
«From a Wi-Fi perspective, the world would be great if everyone used 1200MHz in the 6GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi...We worked with every regulatory body to make sure the best comes out
