The 6GHz Spectrum Allocation War: Why Big Tech and Telecoms Are Fighting for Your Router

On January 20, 2026, the Indian Department of Telecommunications (DoT) quietly released a notification that changed the internet forever. After years of delaying, the government officially de-licensed the lower 6GHz spectrum allocation (5925–6425 MHz) for indoor Wi-Fi use.

If you are a casual user, you might have missed it. But if you are a Network Engineer or a Tech Investor, you know this was the first major treaty in the “Invisible War” between Big Tech (Google, Meta, Amazon) and Big Telecom (Jio, Airtel, Vodafone).

This war isn’t over. While the lower 6GHz spectrum allocation has been “freed” for your home router, the battle for the upper 6GHz spectrum allocation (6425–7125 MHz) is raging hotter than ever.

Why does this matter to you? Because the outcome of this 6GHz spectrum allocation fight determines whether your new $2,000 laptop gets “True” Wi-Fi 7 speeds or gets throttled to 2023 standards.

The Battlefield: What is the 6GHz Band?

To understand the 6GHz spectrum allocation conflict, you have to understand the real estate.

The 6GHz band is a massive 1200 MHz block of prime digital real estate. It is the “Goldilocks” zone of radio waves: fast enough to carry huge data (like 8K video) but strong enough to penetrate drywall (unlike 60GHz mmWave).

For the last decade, this land was occupied by satellites and microwave links. Now, two armies want to evict them:

1. The “Wi-Fi” Army (Unlicensed): Led by Apple, Meta, and the Broadband India Forum (BIF). They want the entire 6GHz spectrum allocation to be free (unlicensed) so you can use it for Wi-Fi 7 routers, VR headsets, and home automation.

2. The “5G/6G” Army (Licensed): Led by Jio, Airtel, and the COAI. They want the 6GHz spectrum allocation auctioned off exclusively to them to build future 5G Advanced and 6G mobile networks.

The Jan 2026 Breakthrough: India Picks a Side (Sort of)

The notification in January 2026 was a compromise. India has officially adopted the “European Model” of 6GHz spectrum allocation, not the “American Model.”

• The USA Model: The FCC opened the entire 1200 MHz for Wi-Fi. This means a router in New York can use massive 320 MHz channels easily.

• The India/EU Model: We have only opened the lower 500 MHz (5925–6425 MHz). The upper 700 MHz is still in “Regulatory Limbo,” likely being saved for Telcos.

The Technosys Take: This decision is a win, but a messy one. By splitting the 6GHz spectrum allocation, the government has given Wi-Fi 7 a “lifeline” but not a “superhighway.”

Technical Deep Dive: The “Crippled” Wi-Fi 7 Problem

Why is the industry fighting so hard over the upper half? Because of Channel Width.

Wi-Fi 7 gets its insane speeds (30 Gbps+) by using ultra-wide 320 MHz channels. Think of this as an 8-lane highway.

• If you have the full 6GHz spectrum allocation (1200 MHz), you can fit three of these 320 MHz highways side-by-side. No traffic jams.

• If you only have the lower 6GHz spectrum allocation (500 MHz), you can barely fit one 320 MHz channel.

The “Neighbor Problem”: In a dense apartment complex in Mumbai or Bangalore, if you and your neighbor both buy a Wi-Fi 7 router, and there is only one 320 MHz channel available in the 6GHz spectrum allocation, you will jam each other. You effectively drop back down to Wi-Fi 6 speeds.

The Hardware Unlock: What You Can Finally Buy

The most immediate impact of the Jan 2026 6GHz spectrum allocation rule is that “Grey Market” tech is finally legal.

For the last year, devices like the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro and Meta Quest 3 were technically operating in a grey area or were software-locked in India because they rely on the 6GHz band. Sony explicitly delayed the PS5 Pro launch in India due to 6GHz spectrum allocation uncertainty.

With the lower band de-licensed:

1. Sony can officially unlock the Wi-Fi 7 radio in Indian PS5 units.

2. Netgear & TP-Link can sell their top-tier “Quad-Band” routers without disabling the 6GHz antennas.

3. Apple Vision Pro users can finally use the high-speed local mirroring feature without latency.

The “Upper Band” War: The Next Battlefront

Don’t think the Telcos have given up. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) is lobbying aggressively for the remaining upper 6GHz spectrum allocation (6425-7125 MHz).

Their Argument: “5G is great, but 6G will need massive pipes. If we give the entire 6GHz spectrum allocation to Wi-Fi for free, we will have no mid-band spectrum left for the 6G mobile networks coming in 2028.”

The Counter-Argument (Big Tech): “90% of data is consumed Indoors. Why build a mobile tower to blast signal through a wall (losing energy) when you can just offload that traffic to the fiber line and Wi-Fi router already inside the building?”

This is the core of the 6GHz spectrum allocation debate: Offloading vs. Coverage.

• If Wi-Fi wins the upper band, the internet becomes “Fiber-First.”

• If Telcos win the upper band, the internet remains “Mobile-First.”

Why This Matters for Your Business

You might be asking, “Why do I care about spectrum politics?” Because your Hardware Lifecycle depends on it.

1. The “Obsolete” Router Risk

If you buy a US-imported Wi-Fi 7 router today that relies on the Upper 6GHz spectrum allocation for its backhaul, it might be illegal or useless in India.

• Action: Only buy routers marked “India Certified” or “CE Certified” (European standard). Do not buy “FCC Certified” (US standard) gear for your Mumbai office; it tries to broadcast on frequencies that are still licensed to Telcos.

2. The Office Interference Trap

Because India’s 6GHz spectrum allocation is only 500 MHz wide, you cannot deploy Wi-Fi 7 Access Points blindly.

• Strategy: If you have a large office, do not set your channels to 320 MHz width. It is too risky with only one channel available. Stick to 160 MHz channel widths on the 6GHz band. You get the stability of the new spectrum without the collision risk.

Conclusion: The Half-Victory

The January 2026 decision on 6GHz spectrum allocation is a massive step forward. It officially brings India out of the “Wi-Fi Dark Ages” and aligns us with global manufacturing standards.

However, the war isn’t over. As long as the upper 6GHz spectrum allocation remains locked, India will always be running a “Lite” version of Wi-Fi 7 compared to the US.

For now, celebrate the win. Your internet is about to get a lot less crowded. Just be careful which router you buy.

Previous Blogs:

Wi-Fi 7 Is Finally Here: Why Your Office Network is Obsolete (2026)

Global Trade Policies and Technology: The Shift Toward Digital Transformation

Apple Intelligence in India 2025: Real Workflows You Can Ship Today (iOS 26 & macOS)

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