Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications has released the National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 for the management and allocation of radio-frequency spectrum in India.
The new plan, which comes into effect from today, December 30, 2025, aims to ensure that India’s spectrum management remains ‘responsive, high-capacity, and harmonised with global standards’, the ministry said in a release.
What’s new in NFAP 2025?
The NFAP 2025 will cover the allocation of radio-frequency spectrum to various radio-communication services from 8.3 kHz to 3000 GHz.
“It serves as an essential reference for spectrum managers, wireless operators, and telecom equipment manufacturers,” DoT said in the statement.
DoT says that NFAP includes various strategic and future-ready revisions to meet the growing spectrum demand for next-generation technologies. This includes the identification of the 6425–7125 MHz band for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), which the government says will significantly enhance the availability of mid-band spectrum that is critical for the expansion of 5G, 5G Advanced, and future 6G networks.
The NFAP also includes the allocation of Ka, Q, and V bands for satellite-based services that are crucial for high-throughput Geo-Stationary Orbit (GSO) satellites and large non-GSO satellite constellations (LEO/MEO).
Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia had recently said in an interview with PTI that the government will soon be in a position to allocate spectrum to satcom players. He also said that provisional spectrum has already been allocated to satcom companies to demonstrate compliance capability with security agencies.
“There are two issues that need to be addressed. One by the licence holders OneWeb, Reliance Jio, and Starlink, which is to comply with security clearances regarding international gateways, ensuring data remains in India, and so on,” he told PTI.
During the session of Parliament earlier in the month, Scindia had also clarified that India’s satellite communication policy is already in place and that satellite spectrum will be allocated administratively and not via auctions.
The document also talks about the seamless availability of broadband access in the air and at sea with additional spectrum allocation for In-Flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC).
Additionally, the document carves out support for emerging technologies such as Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communication, which is essential for connected transportation systems.
“These enhancements will ensure that India’s spectrum management remains responsive, high-capacity, and harmonised with global standards, supporting both current and future digital innovations, which will help in enhancing development of the ecosystem in India,” the ministry noted.
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