Airtel opposes Jio's plan to use 5G band for Wi-Fi services

Nearly four years after telecom operators spent ₹15,000 crore acquiring 26GHz spectrum for 5G services, a dispute has emerged over whether the band can be repurposed for Wi-Fi-based broadband.

- Jatin Grover

Bharti Airtel Ltd has opposed Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd's proposal to deploy Wi-Fi services using the spectrum, arguing that 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 cited above said.

The 2025 proposal from Jio 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 firm to offer home broadband and enterprise connectivity for less, according to a second person.