The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has called on the Indian government to impose a ban on the sale of Wi-Fi 6E routers that utilize the 6GHz spectrum band. Major telecom players, such as Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, have raised concerns over the sale of these routers through e-commerce platforms and offline traders. COAI highlights the regulatory ambiguity surrounding the use of 6GHz band frequencies, which poses potential risks and legal liabilities to consumers. E-commerce platforms have taken some action, but regulatory authorities need to enforce a comprehensive ban.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has stated that it will not provide fresh recommendations on pricing or other modalities for any spectrum band, except for the new 37GHz band. Trai has directed the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to use the recommendations provided last year for all existing bands. It has further urged the DoT to auction the existing bands without waiting for recommendations on the 37GHz band. The 37GHz band, along with the remaining unsold spectrum from the previous auction, will be put up for sale again.
