India's Strategy for Electromagnetic Supremacy in the 6G Era

As India prepares for the rollout of 6G wireless technology, a significant technological leap is on the horizon, promising ultra-fast connectivity, advanced automation, and seamless machine-to-machine communication.

- PROF. NISHAKANT OJHA

However, this advancement brings complex challenges, especially for India's defense infrastructure.

With the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) gearing up to auction crucial frequency bands for telecom giants like Jio, Airtel, BSNL, and Vi, there is growing concern over the potential impact of spectrum allocation on the Indian Air Force (IAF) and broader military operations.

The convergence of civilian and defense spectrum usage demands a strategic approach to safeguard national security and maintain electromagnetic integrity.

6G is expected to utilize upper mid-band (7-24 GHz) and sub-terahertz (100 GHz-1 THz) frequencies to enable applications such as holographic communication, AI-driven automation, and hyper-connected IoT ecosystems.

While these technologies promise a future of high-speed, intelligent communication, many of the proposed spectrum bands overlap with frequencies critical to military operations, including Beyond Line-of-Sight (BLOS) communications, airborne radar, and encrypted battlefield networks.

Historically, mid-band and mmWave spectrums have been allocated to commercial telecom services, but for 6G, the inclusion of defense-critical bands—such as the 7-15 GHz and 100 GHz-1 THz ranges—raises urgent concerns about potential interference.

These frequency bands are vital for strategic military functions like secure data transfer, radar surveillance, and electronic warfare capabilities.

Therefore, a defense-first approach in spectrum allocation is essential to prevent operational compromise.

The key stakeholders in this process include private telecom operators, defense agencies such as the IAF and Army, and regulatory bodies like the DoT and Ministry of Defence (MoD).

A collaborative governance model is necessary to balance economic growth with strategic defense interests.