The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to expedite regulatory amendments permitting Standard Power outdoor operations in the delicensed lower 6 GHz band, saying the move could help expand affordable broadband connectivity in rural and underserved areas.

In a statement, Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI, said the industry was awaiting notification of the necessary rule amendments, following an Expert Committee led by Prof. Radha Krishna Ganti of IIT Madras recommending higher-power outdoor use at 36 dBm in the 5925–6425 MHz band.

COAI said persistent last-mile connectivity gaps, particularly in rural, semi-urban and difficult-to-reach areas, continue to be driven by right-of-way (RoW) challenges, limited fibre availability and high deployment costs.

The association said enabling Standard Power operations in the 500 MHz band could provide a cost-effective alternative for broadband deployment where fibre connectivity is unavailable, economically unviable or physically difficult to establish.

According to COAI, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and Point-to-Multi-Point (P2MP) technologies operating at Standard Power could play a significant role in extending high-speed broadband to homes, businesses and institutions in underserved regions. Point-to-Point (P2P) deployments could also benefit from the proposed regulatory changes.

The association cautioned that restricting the band to low-power indoor applications would limit its potential to support broader connectivity objectives. It said outdoor use could help make more effective use of delicensed spectrum while advancing rural broadband penetration and digital inclusion.

“Several months since the Expert Committee submitted its report, COAI earnestly requests the DoT to expedite the notification of the necessary rule amendments,” Kochhar said, urging the government to enable Standard Power outdoor operations for P2MP and P2P deployments.

COAI said implementing the recommendation would help service providers and authorised entities deliver high-quality, affordable broadband to areas that remain underserved, supporting India’s wider digital connectivity goals.

I can also create a simple infographic explaining how the lower 6 GHz band could improve rural broadband connectivity.