Excitel admits routers lag behind, plans Wi-Fi 6 launch by early 2027

Excitel CEO Varun Pasricha said Indian broadband routers are about 10 years behind those in Dubai, Europe and the US, with Excitel, Jio and Airtel equally responsible. The company is testing Wi-Fi 6 routers and mesh systems for a Q1 2027 launch as hardware costs rose two to three times on memory and cable price hikes.

• Indian routers lag global markets by 10 years, Excitel, Jio and Airtel admit
• Excitel's Wi-Fi 6 routers due in Q1 2027, mesh systems to follow
• Wi-Fi 5 caps a 1 Gbps plan at 200–300 Mbps over the air
• Memory prices rose 6–7x, drop cable from ₹5–6 to ₹15 per metre