Severe 26 GHz 5G Spectrum Clash: Airtel & Jio Fight Over Wi-Fi Move

A major technical warfare has officially exploded between India’s top two telecom operators over the utility and deployment of next-generation airwaves. A fierce 26 GHz 5G spectrum clash has emerged between Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio regarding whether premium millimetric-wave (mmWave) frequencies can be legally and structurally repurposed to deploy localized Wi-Fi broadband services.

With the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) technical wing—the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC)—scrambling to finalize a structural framework by the end of June 2026, the dispute threatens to reshape spectrum usage flexibility in the Indian telecom market.

The Technical Trigger: 3GPP Mobile vs. IEEE Wi-Fi Standards

The core of this intense 26 GHz 5G spectrum clash lies in a direct standoff between two completely different global technological architecture frameworks.

Both telcos spent thousands of crores during the landmark 2022 spectrum auctions to secure large 1,000 MHz chunks of the 26 GHz mmWave band. However, the commercial utilization of this high-frequency band has remained practically empty due to an underdeveloped consumer smartphone ecosystem capable of supporting millimeter waves. To solve this underutilization, the two operators have taken radically opposing paths:

• Bharti Airtel’s Stand (3GPP Strictness): Airtel demands absolute adherence to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) parameters. They argue that auctioned IMT-2020 spectrum must strictly power native mobile or Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) 5G networks to protect network integrity and prevent cross-network signal spills.
• Reliance Jio’s Stand (IEEE Adaptation): Jio has approached the TEC seeking clearances to leverage its 26 GHz holdings to roll out hyper-local, high-capacity Wi-Fi services built around IEEE networking standards. Jio intends to utilize a hybrid network architecture, deploying locally built small cells to offer ultra-low-cost, high-speed indoor broadband without relying on extensive fiber layouts.

Airtel Alerts Regulators Over Interference and Policy Spills

Airtel has officially raised serious regulatory and technical flags in closed-door demonstration sessions with the DoT. The primary technical argument presented is that allowing an operator to run non-3GPP standard Wi-Fi transmissions over a licensed mobile mobility band risks significant radio signal interference with neighboring operators’ networks.

Furthermore, industry critics point out an ideological contradiction. Major cellular operators have consistently blocked tech companies from gaining free, de-licensed access to the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi propagation, arguing that all premium high-capacity bands must remain strictly under licensed cellular protocols.

To prevent cross-service signal bleeding amidst this intense 26 GHz 5G spectrum clash, the Telecommunication Engineering Centre is currently evaluating the implementation of a 200 MHz “guard band.” This would essentially serve as a frequency buffer zone, preventing Wi-Fi transmissions from disrupting parallel mobile services.

Linear Mobile Data vs. Localized Enterprise Hotspots

The financial implications of the current 26 GHz 5G spectrum clash are massive for the balance sheets of both Indian telecom giants. While traditional 3GPP Mobile 5G relies on a complex Cellular Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture, it suffers heavily from a restricted device ecosystem since very few handsets in India support mmWave bands. This forces operators to deal with extremely high capital deployment costs just to set up dense small-cell arrays.

In sharp contrast, Jio’s proposed repurposed IEEE Wi-Fi network uses high-capacity, short-range access points. This architecture offers immediate compatibility with everyday enterprise gear and user devices. By slashing last-mile deployment costs, it provides a much cheaper rollout path, though it introduces significant regulatory risks that require completely untested modifications to the 2022 Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) rollout terms.

What Happens Next? The June Deadline Counts

The final resolution of this technical tug-of-war rests entirely with the upcoming draft standard release from the TEC. If the technical arm favors Jio’s approach, it sets a massive structural precedent, completely altering how flexibly Indian operators can manipulate their multi-crore licensed assets.

Conversely, if Airtel’s 3GPP objections hold ground, Jio may have to stall its short-range hardware deployment plans until traditional mmWave mobile device ecosystems fully mature in the Indian consumer space.

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