The 6 GHz band has become the center of a dispute that will define European communications of the future. The battle involves the large organizations that define standards such as Wi-Fi, large technology companies and telecommunications operators. The European Commission will have to decide how the use of these radio frequency bands is distributed given the limitations of the radio spectrum.
The Wi-Fi Alliance and the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) have published open letters to EU digital ministers, expressing concern that the upper 6 GHz band (6425 to 7125 MHz) may be outside the limits of Wi-Fi networks in European Union countries.
The problem is that newer Wi-Fi standards, such as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, are capable of using frequencies throughout the 6 GHz band to offer greater performance. However, mobile operators also have their sights set on this band for 5G and 6G network services.
The Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) of the European Commission is studying ways to sharing the upper 6 GHz band between license-exempt technologies such as Wi-Fi and mobile networks. The lower part of the band is already license exempt. British telecommunications regulator Ofcom is pursuing a similar policy following a consultation process in 2023.
However, Wi-Fi advocates fear that the German government has changed its position to favor the exclusive use of the upper 6 GHz band by mobile networks, which could influence the RSPG’s decision. A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Digitalization and Transport told the German news website Heise Online: «The frequency requirements of mobile network operators in the upper 6 GHz band are considered to be higher, for future 6G applications, than those for Wi-Fi applications».
Note that currently, the 6 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum in the EU is limited to the use of channels between 5945 MHz and 6425 MHz – which correspond to the U-NII-5 band according to the FCC classification -, which is a total of 12 groups of usable 40 MHz channels. However, this is only equivalent to three groups of 160 MHz channels or two groups of overlapping 320 MHz channels, which means that the band is already very saturated and hence the battle to gain access to its frequencies.
6 GHz band, more cellular, less Wi-Fi?
The Wi-Fi Alliance and DSA are trying to stoke fears that such a move would seriously harm Europe’s digital developmentarguing that Wi-Fi is the main way consumers access the Internet and that restricting it would affect progress.
Organizations and technologies
«Blocking Wi-Fi access to the upper 6 GHz band would be devastating for the future of Wi-Fi technology in Europe. “This spectrum is uniquely positioned to sustain the evolution of the Wi-Fi ecosystem and enable the next generation of digital innovation.”stated the DSA.
The DSA presents itself as a global body that advocates for regulations that allow for more efficient use of the spectrum, but its list of members appears to be composed mainly of American technology giants: Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Broadcom and Cisco, also interested in the future of the 6 GHz band in Europe.
For its part, the Wi-Fi Alliance complained that its members were working with the RSPG proposals to try to use the spectrum on a shared basis, in accordance with the mandate of the European Commission. «The mobile industry opposes any compromise. Now demands the exclusive use of the entire upper 6 GHz band for mobile servicesarguing that this would strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty”he states.
Operators
The mobile telecommunications industry, of course, see it differently. Vodafone has already carried out trials in the upper 6GHz frequencies, achieving download speeds of up to 5Gbps, and says it should be available to boost cellular capacity when current bandwidth is exhausted.
Nokia and Swedish telecoms company Telia also carried out a pilot deployment using the upper 6GHz spectrum last year, saying it demonstrated the ability to add “massive capacity” in built-up areas and performance and coverage improvements in suburban or rural areas. In this sense, the operators have the support of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which allocated the upper 6 GHz band to cellular services at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) in 2023.
The European Commission’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) will vote on the issue defining future communications in Europe.
