Summary:
India has been urged to take a leading role in shaping the global 6G spectrum framework, particularly around the upper mid-band frequencies known as the “6G golden band” covering 6.425-7.125 GHz and 7-8 GHz. Ahead of WRC-27, stakeholders called for coordinated national planning, coexistence studies and internationally harmonised spectrum channels to support future 6G services while protecting existing networks. Industry representatives highlighted the need for additional mid-band spectrum to meet growing data demand and enable applications such as immersive communications, extended reality and AI-based services.
A member of NITI Aayog said India has a significant opportunity to help shape the international spectrum framework for 6G mobile networks, particularly in the upper mid-band frequencies referred to as the “6G golden band”. This spectrum includes the upper 6 GHz range of 6.425-7.125 GHz as well as the 7-8 GHz band.
The remarks come ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27), which is scheduled to take place in Shanghai in October 2027. He called for a coordinated national strategy to support India’s 6G objectives and said NITI Aayog would bring together stakeholders from across the country to take forward discussions on the golden band as a national mission. He also highlighted the need for detailed coexistence studies and careful spectrum planning to safeguard existing fixed, satellite and other services while gradually making spectrum available for emerging technologies.
The president and chief public policy and regulatory officer at Reliance Jio also emphasised the requirement for significantly more mid-band spectrum. He said the golden band could potentially become a key foundation for 6G networks by providing broad coverage while offering the capacity required to meet rapidly increasing data consumption.
The director for spectrum and policy in the Asia-Pacific region at GSMA noted that technologies such as advanced multiple-input multiple-output systems and AI-powered radio networks could enhance network efficiency, but would not eliminate the need for additional mid-band spectrum. He highlighted the importance of globally harmonised 200-400 MHz channels to enable future 6G applications such as immersive communications, extended reality and integrated AI-based services.
The consultation was jointly hosted by NITI Aayog and the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI). It brought together senior representatives from NITI Aayog, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Wireless Planning Commission (WPC), TRAI, ISRO, the Ministry of Defence, Reliance Jio, Qualcomm, GSMA and IAFI.
