Jio seeks DoT nod to use 5G for WiFi

In a move that could significantly alter the use-case landscape for 5G spectrum, Reliance Jio has approached the department of telecommunications (DoT), seeking approval to use spectrum in the 26 GHz band for offering WiFi services.

Officials said that this request has been made under Clause 2.3 of the Notice Inviting Application (NIA) for the July 2022 spectrum auction, which mandates that operators must obtain prior approval from DoT to use spectrum assigned for mobile technologies like 5G for any alternative services, including WiFi. As per the clause, such a request must be made at least six months before deploying the spectrum for the new purpose.