COAI Welcomes DoT’s Progressive Approach in NFAP 2025 on 6 GHz; Reiterates Need for Full 1200 MHz to Support India’s 5G, 5G Advanced and 6G Vision
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has welcomed the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) forward-looking and progressive approach in the release of the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) 2025, particularly the identification of part of the 6 GHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT). The move is being seen as a significant step in strengthening India’s mid-band spectrum roadmap and aligning it with evolving global developments and the rapidly expanding needs of the digital communications ecosystem.
Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI, said that the industry appreciates the Government’s continued efforts to future-proof India’s spectrum framework. He noted that the identification of the 6425–7125 MHz band for IMT under NFAP 2025 substantially enhances the availability of mid-band spectrum, which is critical for the expansion of 5G, the evolution to 5G Advanced, and the eventual deployment of 6G networks in the country.
The decision reflects DoT’s recognition of the pivotal role mid-band spectrum plays in delivering high-capacity, high-speed and reliable mobile broadband services. By earmarking this band for IMT, NFAP 2025 sends a strong and positive signal to global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and international markets, helping build a robust equipment ecosystem in the 6 GHz band. This, in turn, is expected to drive economies of scale, reduce network and device costs, and make advanced mobile services more affordable for Indian consumers.
While welcoming this development, COAI reiterated its long-standing position that the remaining 500 MHz in the 5925–6425 MHz range should also be identified for IMT, enabling the full 1200 MHz of the 6 GHz band to be utilised for mobile services. COAI emphasised that India’s unique market characteristics — including high population density, rapidly growing mobile data consumption, and relatively low fixed broadband penetration — mean that mobile networks carry the bulk of the country’s internet traffic. As a result, the availability of adequate and harmonised mid-band spectrum is absolutely critical.
According to COAI, to meet exponential data growth and deliver affordable, high-quality 5G and future 6G services, each telecom service provider requires at least 400 MHz of contiguous mid-band spectrum. Fragmented or insufficient spectrum allocations could severely limit network performance and significantly increase deployment costs. With mobile data usage in India continuing to grow at an unprecedented pace, existing mid-band spectrum holdings are unlikely to meet future capacity requirements.
Next-generation technologies will increasingly depend on large, contiguous spectrum blocks to support ultra-high throughput, low latency and advanced use cases, including immersive applications, AI-driven services, smart manufacturing and intelligent mobility. Identification of the full 6 GHz band for IMT would therefore align India with global spectrum trends, accelerate ecosystem readiness, enable economies of scale, and strengthen India’s competitiveness in emerging digital technologies. Robust and affordable mobile broadband remains foundational to the Digital India vision and is essential for inclusive socio-economic development, innovation and productivity.
COAI also highlighted that mid-band spectrum offers the optimal balance between coverage and capacity, making it indispensable for the rapid and cost-effective nationwide rollout of advanced mobile broadband networks. Timely access to adequate, harmonised and future-ready spectrum will be crucial to sustaining India’s leadership in telecommunications, particularly as the country prepares for future technologies and builds its digital economy and AI infrastructure.
The industry, COAI said, remains committed to continued constructive engagement with DoT and all stakeholders to arrive at a balanced, evidence-based and future-oriented spectrum policy that maximises consumer benefits and supports India’s long-term digital ambitions.
