Opening India’s Lower 6 GHz Band for Wireless Usage : A Strategic Regulatory Landmark

TL;DR: India delicensed 5925-6425 MHz on Jan 20, 2026 for LPI & VLP use. Enables 320 MHz channels for Wi-Fi 6E/7. No individual license needed. Upper 6 GHz kept for IMT/5G.

On January 20, 2026, the Ministry of Communications, Government of India, issued a landmark Gazette 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. [1] Through this gazette notification, Government of India has officially de-licensed the lower portion of the 6 GHz spectrum, for the Wireless ecosystem, aligning India with global wireless standards and paving the way for advanced technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.

The goal was to boost consumer and enterprise Wi-Fi speeds and support next-gen Wi-Fi 6E & 7. It aligns India with many other countries that have opened 6 GHz for unlicensed use. Wi-Fi is seen as a complementary technology to mobile broadband, allowing data offload and reducing congestion. India’s National Frequency Allocation Plan also reserves upper 6 GHz (6425–7125 MHz) for licensed mobile/IMT (5G/6G future use). The U.S. FCC permitted unlicensed use of the full 6 GHz band (up to ~7125 MHz) earlier. Many countries (96+ as of Jan 2026) now allow license-free 6 GHz operations.


1. Key Highlights of the Notification

The primary objective of these rules is to allow the establishment and operation of wireless equipment in the 5925–6425 MHz (500 MHz) band without the need for an individual license or frequency assignment.

Feature Details
Frequency Band 5925 MHz to 6425 MHz (Lower 6 GHz)
Regulatory Basis Shared, non-interference, and non-protection basis
Primary Use Cases Low Power Indoor (LPI) and Very Low Power (VLP) Outdoor systems
Channel Bandwidth Supports ultra-wide channels up to 320 MHz
Effective Date January 20, 2026 (Date of publication)

Technical Specifications

To prevent interference with existing licensed services, the government has mandated strict power limits:

  • Low Power Indoor (LPI): Maximum Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (e.i.r.p.) of 30 dBm and a Power Spectral Density (PSD) of 11 dBm/MHz.
  • Very Low Power (VLP) Outdoor: Maximum e.i.r.p. of 14 dBm and a PSD of 1 dBm/MHz.
Note :
I have covered EIRP and PSD in detail in the EIRP, PSD and Out-of-Band Emission (OOBE) section of my previous blog
EIRP: Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power | PSD: Power Spectral Density


2. Permitted and Prohibited Operations

While the band is now "open," the Gazette specifies clear boundaries for its usage:

✅ Permitted Usage

  • Next-Gen Wi-Fi: High-speed internet for smart homes and offices.
  • Advanced Gadgets: Use in AR/VR headsets, gaming consoles, and smart wearables.
  • Enterprise Networks: Reliable connectivity for industrial IoT and automation.

❌ Specific Prohibitions

  • Oil Platforms: Usage is strictly prohibited.
  • Moving Vehicles: Indoor use is banned in cars, trains, and boats.
  • Aviation: Prohibited in aircraft unless flying above 10,000 feet.
  • Drones: Communication with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is forbidden.
3. The Future of the Upper 6 GHz Band

While the Lower 6 GHz (up to 6425 MHz) is now open, the Upper 6 GHz band (6425–7125 MHz) remains under the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) and is currently reserved for licensed 5G/6G mobile services.


4. Specific deviations between the proposed Draft Gazette (published in May 2025) and the Final Gazette (published in January 2026).

Parameter Draft Notification
(May 2025)		 Final Notification
(Jan 2026)		 Technical Impact
Frequency Range 5925 – 6425 MHz 5925 – 6425 MHz Unchanged
The upper band (6425–7125 MHz) remains reserved for licensed IMT (5G/6G).
LPI Max EIRP 30 dBm (1 Watt) 30 dBm (1 Watt) Unchanged
Total radiated power ceiling remains the same.
LPI Max PSD 5 dBm / MHz 11 dBm / MHz CRITICAL CHANGE (+6 dB)
Allows 4x higher power density, essential for maintaining signal quality in wider channels.
VLP Max EIRP 14 dBm (25 mW) 14 dBm (25 mW) Unchanged
Keeps outdoor interference risk low for satellite uplinks.
VLP Max PSD -5 dBm / MHz 1 dBm / MHz CRITICAL CHANGE (+6 dB)
Improves outdoor short-range connectivity (e.g., AR/VR headsets).
Definitions:
LPI: Low Power Indoor | VLP: Very Low Power (Outdoor)
EIRP: Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power | PSD: Power Spectral Density

5. Analysis of Changes: Draft Gazette vs. Final Gazette
A. The "PSD Boost" and Wi-Fi 7

The most meaningful technical shift is the increase in Power Spectral Density (PSD) for Indoor (LPI) devices from 5 dBm/MHz to 11 dBm/MHz.

  • The Problem with the Draft: Wi-Fi 7 introduces ultra-wide 320 MHz channels. Under the old draft limit of 5 dBm/MHz, spreading energy across such a wide channel would result in a very low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the receiver, effectively shrinking the coverage area to a single room.
  • The Final Rule Solution: By raising the limit to 11 dBm/MHz, the rules now allow devices to utilize the full 320 MHz channel width without suffering a drastic drop in range. This aligns India's technical specs closer to ETSI (Europe) standards, ensuring that global Wi-Fi 7 chipsets can operate efficiently in India without aggressive firmware throttling.
B. The Spectrum Split (500 MHz vs. 1200 MHz)

The Ministry has maintained a "Middle Path" approach to frequency allocation:

  • Delicensed (5925–6425 MHz): Dedicated to Wi-Fi 6E/7.
  • Reserved (6425–7125 MHz): Retained for potential auction to Telcos for 6G (IMT).

Technical Consequence: While India misses out on the full 7x160 MHz channel capacity available in the US (which delicensed the full 1200 MHz), the 500 MHz block still allows for one continuous 320 MHz channel or three 160 MHz channels, sufficient for gigabit-class indoor connectivity.


6. Conclusion

The Final Gazette represents a pragmatic compromise. It secures the critical Lower 6 GHz band for the Wi-Fi ecosystem while technically optimizing the power rules (PSD) to ensure that the next generation of routers can actually deliver on their speed promises.




References:
  1. Gazette on the 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.
  2. Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure
  3. Power Spectral Density
WiFi
Policy
Internet