PS5 Pro's Availability in India

The PS5 Pro console was recently released globally, but India was not included in the initial list of markets. Sony announced that the PS5 Pro won’t be available in countries like India due to a specific issue with Wi-Fi 7 technology, which uses a 6GHz frequency band. This band is currently not allowed for Wi-Fi use in India.

Wi-Fi Bands and Their Evolution:

• Wi-Fi bands are frequency ranges used for wireless internet. These bands were available for public use in India starting in 2002.
  • 4GHz and 5GHz are the most common Wi-Fi bands used globally, including in India.
  • 4GHz offers a larger coverage area but slower speeds.
  • 5GHz provides faster speeds but covers a smaller area.

Introduction of Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E:

• In 2020, Wi-Fi 6 was introduced, which can use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands more efficiently, improving speeds.
• Wi-Fi 6E was launched in 2021, introducing a third band—the 6GHz band—to provide even faster internet speeds (up to 9.6Gbps).
  • This 6GHz band is important because it can carry much higher speeds compared to the older bands.

What is 6GHz Band?

• 6GHz spectrum is the frequency range between 5,925 MHz and 7,125 MHz. It allows for faster internet speeds and less congestion since it's a new, unoccupied band.
• Many countries, including the US, UK, South Korea, and UAE, have allowed this band for Wi-Fi, but India has not yet opened it up for use.
• The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) usually tries to create global agreements about how wireless spectrum should be used, but countries like India and China are still deciding what to do with this band.
• The 6GHz Band in India: In India, the 6GHz band is currently used by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for satellite communication. However, satellite use is unlikely to interfere with Wi-Fi use.

• Telecom companies in India are pushing for the 6GHz band to be used for 5G and 6G networks, while tech companies (such as Google, Meta, and Amazon) want it to be allocated for Wi-Fi instead, like in the US.
• There is a debate in India about whether the entire 6GHz band should go to telecoms or be shared for Wi-Fi as well. Australia has already made half of the 6GHz spectrum available for Wi-Fi, and India might follow this example.

Impact on PS5 Pro and Wi-Fi 7 in India:

• Wi-Fi 7, which is the next generation of Wi-Fi technology, requires the 6GHz band for full performance.
• In India, since this band isn’t available for Wi-Fi use yet, the PS5 Pro, which supports Wi-Fi 7, cannot fully utilize the 6GHz band here.
• However, Apple and Samsung phones also support Wi-Fi 6GHz but are programmed to avoid using it in India, as the band is not allowed here. Sony could do something similar with the PS5 Pro.