Ban sale of illegal Wi-Fi 6E wireless routers on Amazon, Flipkart: COAI to DoT

There has been a spurt in the illegal sale of Wi-Fi 6E wireless routers, which operate on the 6 GHz frequency band, on e-commerce websites and online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart in India, a top industry has warned.

In a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) accessed by IANS, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said that these illegal Wi-Fi 6E routers are being made available for consumers when such use is not yet permitted by the government.

The industry body urged the DoT to intervene and take strict measures to put a complete ban on the sale of Wi-Fi products operating in the 6 GHz band, whether offline or online, through e-commerce websites/platforms.

“We would like to submit that DoT is yet to m take a policy decision related to the 6 GHz band utilisation,” the letter read.

Such illegal devices “would only result in unauthorised transmissions in our country.”

Further, such Wi-Fi devices operating in the 6 GHz band “will render customers responsible for these unauthorised transmissions, placing the burden of liability on consumers and shifting the onus of responsibility of such unauthorised transmissions from the real offenders to the consumers.”

As per provisions of the Indian Telecommunications Act, 2023, the government is the “owner of spectrum, and the use of spectrum by any person requires assignment from the Central government.”