News · eGov
A new study finds that adoption of the lower 6 GHz spectrum band in India remains negligible despite the government delicensing it for Wi-Fi use, while a large gap persists between device capability and home network quality.
✦ AI SUMMARY 30-second read
- Usage of the 5925-6425 MHz band in India stands at 0.1 per cent or less, nearly eight months after it was opened for low-power indoor and very-low-power wireless access systems.
- 72.7 per cent of Wi-Fi 6-compatible smartphones in India were operating on Wi-Fi 5 or older home networks in the third quarter of 2026.
- 72.4 per cent of Indian home broadband connections tested below 100 Mbps during the July-September quarter of 2026.
Why it matters: India's low uptake of newer Wi-Fi spectrum and persistent broadband speed gaps could limit the gains expected from next-generation wireless connectivity.
This summary was generated by AI. Editors may review and update it.
Adoption of the lower 6 GHz spectrum band in India has remained at 0.1 per cent or less, nearly eight months after the government opened it for low-power indoor and very-low-power wireless access systems, according to a study by Ookla.
The 5925-6425 MHz band, commonly referred to as the lower 6 GHz band, has been delicensed for Wi-Fi use in more than 100 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, EU member states, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Japan and South Korea. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines also opened the band between July 2024 and May 2025.
The licence-exempt spectrum is designed to support high-bandwidth, low-latency wireless connectivity through Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 8 technologies, which offer wider channels compared with the congested 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands used by older Wi-Fi generations.
Device and network mismatch
The study identified a significant gap between the Wi-Fi capabilities of smartphones and the routers to which they connect across several markets. In the third quarter of 2026, 80 per cent of Wi-Fi 6-compatible smartphones in Indonesia were operating on Wi-Fi 5 or older home networks.
India followed closely, with 72.7 per cent of such smartphones connected to older networks, while the Philippines recorded 54.4 per cent. Singapore had the lowest share at 9.7 per cent, suggesting considerably faster router upgrades in that market.
Global chipmakers, including Qualcomm, have announced plans to introduce products supporting newer Wi-Fi generations, which could gradually shift the landscape.
Router upgrades and speed gains
The study found that households upgrading from Wi-Fi 4 to Wi-Fi 5 between the third quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2026 recorded approximately double or higher median download speeds across nine markets, including India, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia and Indonesia.
However, Ookla noted that beyond Wi-Fi 4, further router upgrades depend heavily on the underlying broadband plan for meaningful improvement. In India, homes that moved from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 recorded no improvement in median download speeds, with a marginal decline of 0.2 per cent.
Broadband speed picture in India
The study also highlighted that 72.4 per cent of Indian home broadband connections tested below 100 Mbps during the July-September quarter of 2026, indicating that limited plan speeds, rather than router capability alone, may be constraining the benefits of newer Wi-Fi standards.
The findings suggest that while spectrum availability and device support for newer Wi-Fi generations are necessary steps, broader improvements in home connectivity in India will also require faster underlying broadband services reaching a greater share of users.