RAS question
Which frequency band did DoT delicense on January 21, 2026 for Wi-Fi services?
Correct answer: (B) Lower 6 GHz (5925-6425 MHz).
On 21 January 2026, DoT delicensed the lower 6 GHz band, 5925-6425 MHz, for Wi-Fi services on a shared basis.
Explanation
The notified band was 5925-6425 MHz, which is the lower 6 GHz band. This is the band delicensed for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 on a shared basis. The Gazette notification supports that choice: its short title refers to the lower 6 GHz band, its application clause says the rules apply to 5925-6425 MHz, and its exemption clause says no licence or frequency assignment is required for low-power indoor and very-low-power outdoor wireless access systems, including radio local area networks, operating in that band on a non-interference, non-protection and shared, non-exclusive basis. Therefore, the answer is lower 6 GHz, not any 5 GHz or upper 6 GHz option.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Lower 5 GHz, 5150-5350 MHz, is outside the 5925-6425 MHz range to which the Gazette notification applies.
- (C) Upper 6 GHz, 6425-7125 MHz, is not the band named in the notification, which is confined to 5925-6425 MHz.
- (D) Upper 5 GHz, 5725-5850 MHz, is a 5 GHz range and does not fall within the delicensed 5925-6425 MHz lower 6 GHz band.
Concept
This tests spectrum management under Science and Technology, especially how licensing exemptions translate telecom policy into usable wireless services. It recurs in RAS because such notifications link current technology terms, regulatory powers and everyday digital infrastructure.