Apple, Amazon, Meta Among US Tech Giants Opposing Jio, Vi’s 6GHz Band Allocation Demand: Report

Meta, Apple, and Intel, among other US-based tech giants, have reportedly submitted a response to a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) consultation paper on spectrum allocation. In their response, the companies have opposed the Indian telecom service providers (TSPs) Jio and Vodafone Idea's proposal to allocate the 6GHz band for phone services. However, citing the unestablished technical and commercial readiness of the spectrum band, the US companies have instead requested the government to open the same for Wi-Fi services.

US Companies Want the 6GHz Band to be Allocated for Wi-Fi Services

The Press Trust of India (PTI) reports that various US-based tech giants, including Apple, Amazon, Meta, HP, Intel, and Cisco, have opposed the Indian telecom service providers' demand that the 6GHz band be allocated for phone services. The firms expressed their objections to the proposal in a joint reply to a TRAI consultation paper for the next round of spectrum allocation.

The US tech firms reportedly told the regulator that the “technical and commercial readiness” of the 6GHz spectrum has yet to be established for phone services. Rather than allocating it for phone services, the US-based tech giants want the Indian government to allocate the 6GHz spectrum band for Wi-Fi services.

Recently, the Indian Express reported that the Indian government has proposed the allowance of license-free operations of an allocated portal of the 6GHz spectrum, which would allow internet service providers (ISPs) to offer fast Wi-Fi speeds to their subscribers. It is also said to help companies like Sony, Apple, and Meta, as a wider band would allow the PlayStation Pro, which has not been officially launched in India, and AR headsets to provide enhanced connectivity.

Interestingly, in its response to an earlier TRAI consultation paper on “Digital Transformation through 5G Ecosystem”, Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta pointed out that over 35 countries, such as the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand, have already delicenced the 6GHz band.

According to Meta, “the limitation on usage of the 6GHz band” in India does not allow the AR and VR devices to offer the performance that they are otherwise capable of. The company argued that the 6GHz band should be open to Wi-Fi services so that the Indian ecosystem can compete with other nations.