COAI opposes direct spectrum allocation to enterprises over security, economic concerns

NEW DELHI: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing private telecom service providers, has strongly opposed the direct allocation of spectrum to enterprises. It argues that such a move is not viable in India due to the country’s unique telecom ecosystem, potential revenue losses, and national security risks.

COAI — which counts Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea among its members — insists that enterprise 5G requirements should be met exclusively through licensed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), either via spectrum leasing or through network slicing.