MediaTek, the Taiwan-based global chipset manufacturer, has expressed strong support for the deployment of millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum in India—highlighting its critical role in the evolution of 5G and the country’s future 6G ambitions.
“We invest heavily in cellular—our largest business segment—and we’re strong believers in the potential of mmWave,” said Thomas Ho, Marketing Director at MediaTek. “As spectrum availability becomes increasingly scarce, mmWave will be essential. It will also be foundational for 6G, which will use even higher frequency bands.”
India’s mmWave Readiness and Operator Plans
Both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel acquired 26 GHz mmWave spectrum during India’s 2022 auctions. While both telcos are in early stages of mmWave-based 5G rollout planning, their deployments are crucial to meeting minimum rollout obligations outlined by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
“We know Jio and Airtel have secured spectrum in the 26 GHz band, and the Indian government has encouraged its utilization. The operators are currently in the planning phase to develop products around this band,” Ho said.
Last month, Jio sought approval from the DoT to utilize mmWave spectrum for Wi-Fi services, potentially unlocking new use cases for high-speed, low-latency connectivity.
MediaTek’s Commitment to the Indian Market
India is among the world’s leading Wi-Fi markets, and MediaTek is well-positioned to support this growth. The company holds a 60% share of the indoor Wi-Fi 6 router market in India, powering broadband services like Airtel’s and Jio’s Air Fiber.
“India is driving innovation across Wi-Fi and cellular, and we’re proud to support that with our technology,” Ho noted. While mmWave deployment has faced global challenges—mainly due to cost-benefit constraints—MediaTek remains committed to enabling its adoption.
“We’ve already launched smartphones with mmWave support and introduced our Dimensity 1050 SoC, our first mmWave 5G chipset, in 2022,” Ho added. “We also offer 5G Continuous Delivery (CD) solutions, matching the capabilities of global competitors.”
He emphasized that economic viability plays a key role in spectrum adoption, but as demand for high-speed, high-capacity networks rises, MediaTek is committed to backing Indian telecom operators in their mmWave deployments.
TRAI’s Push for More High-Band Spectrum
To further expand the mmWave ecosystem, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) earlier this year recommended that spectrum in the 37–40 GHz band be opened for auction. Frequencies above 24 GHz are especially valuable in dense urban areas, enabling ultra-low latency and massive data capacity—ideal for 5G and future 6G applications.
MediaTek’s Global Leadership
MediaTek claims to be the world’s largest Wi-Fi chipset supplier, with over 2 billion devices shipped annually. The company also maintains a leadership position in India’s broadband chipset market, reinforcing its strategic focus on the region as telecom infrastructure continues to evolve. “The future—including 6G—will be built, in part, on the foundation of mmWave,” Ho concluded.
