Airtel vs Jio: 26GHz Wi-Fi plan sparks interference fight

A dispute over whether India's 26GHz spectrum can be repurposed for Wi-Fi broadband is pitting Bharti Airtel against Reliance Jio, nearly four years after operators spent ₹15,000 crore acquiring the band for 5G.

Airtel has opposed Jio's proposal to deploy Wi-Fi services using the spectrum, arguing the move could create interference with its existing mobile network and lacks alignment with global telecom standards, according to three people close to the discussions. Concerns have also been raised with the government that high-power Wi-Fi deployments in the band could lead to higher radiation levels, affecting public health and interfering with adjacent satellite broadband spectrum, one of the three persons said.

Jio's 2025 proposal to the department of telecommunications (DoT) came after the 26GHz band saw limited adoption in 5G services worldwide due to high deployment costs and weak consumer device support. Using the spectrum for Wi-Fi could allow the company to offer home broadband and enterprise connectivity more cost-effectively, a second person said.

India is among the first countries to explore Wi-Fi-based technology in an auctioned mobile services band. So far, Wi-Fi is deployed in the unlicensed 2.4 and 5GHz bands, and the recently opened lower 6GHz band.

In multiple meetings with the government and during a demo, Airtel argued that compliance with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is required before this new technology is approved. The 3GPP sets global mobile standards for 3G, 4G, 5G and the Internet of things to ensure interoperability across networks and devices.

“Jio is ready with the equipment and technology to deploy 26GHz for Wi-Fi. The government is referring to IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standards to come up with a standard for the new technology,” the second person added. The IEEE is also a global body that develops Wi-Fi and other networking technology standards.

To address some of the concerns, TSDSI (Telecommunications Standards Development Society) is looking at power levels of 43dbm (20W) and 48dbm (63W) for using Wi-Fi in the 26GHz band, a government official said. A government committee has discussed and set a target to come up with the standard by June-end. The Telecommunication Engineering Standard (TEC), the technical arm of DoT, is also involved in the process.

The guard band – a portion of the spectrum left unused between services – would help ensure that signals from one service do not spill over and disrupt another, the official added.

“26GHz is an auctioned band. It will not be easy to deploy the same for Wi-Fi as for that, coexistence studies will have to be done at the IEEE and at the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) level,” said Bharat Bhatia, president of the ITU-APT Foundation of India, which works with industry and government on telecom policy.

“Thus, even if TSDSI comes up with a standard for the same, it will need to ensure compatibility with satellite services in accordance with international Radio Regulations,” Bhatia said, adding that global consultations are important to study interference and compatibility issues.

The Broadband India Forum (BIF), which represents technology companies, cautioned that radiation exposure from such power levels needs to be carefully studied and analysed before being permitted.

“The BIF fully supports the development of Wi-Fi in other spectrum bands in addition to the traditional 2.4 and 5GHz bands and the recently opened lower 6GHz band. These are welcome developments for the growth of our digital economy,” said BIF president T.V. Ramachandran.

“However, in doing so, we need to avoid/minimize chances of interference with other telecom and satellite operators and also safeguard public health and safety issues, if any, arising from the new levels of EMF (electromagnetic field) radiation,” he added.

The radiated power levels under consideration by the government are expected to be multiple times the safe levels, according to Ramachandran. “It must be ensured that the new DoT permissible power levels do not risk exposing the consumers to serious health hazards and/or invite radical activism on health grounds,” he said.

According to the spectrum auction rules, operators must obtain prior approval from the DoT to use the spectrum assigned for mobile technologies, such as 5G, for any alternative services at least six months in advance. The technology should be based on standards approved by the ITU, TEC or any other international standards organization, the rules said. Following the same, TEC in 2025 also released a draft standard document for consultation with stakeholders.

In the 2022 auction, Reliance Jio acquired 22,000MHz of spectrum in the 26GHz band for ₹6,990 crore, followed by Bharti Airtel, which acquired 17,600MHz of spectrum for ₹5,592 crore, and Vodafone Idea acquired 5,350MHz for ₹1,915 crore.