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A thriving Wi-Fi industry could sway the 6 GHz debate

Agenda item 1.2 of the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) considers the identification of the upper 6 GHz band (6425—7025 MHz) for IMT. With over a year to go until the event, the debate over the band seems more heated than ever. UK regulator Ofcom recently faced a backlash when it proposed a compromise approach to the band. The regulator suggested adding the upper part of 6 GHz to its…
| Richard Haas
Agenda item 1.2 of the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) considers the identification of the upper 6 GHz band (6425—7025 MHz) for IMT. With over a year to go until the event, the debate over the band seems more heated than ever. UK regulator Ofcom recently faced a backlash when it proposed a compromise approach to the band. The regulator suggested adding the upper part of 6 GHz to its shared access licence regime. This would allow for indoor Wi-Fi deployments through a licensing programme while avoiding a broader decision on the 6 GHz band. The regulator was criticised by players from both sides of the debate who viewed the proposal as a threat to their vision for the band. Yet while both sides continue to argue their case, a thriving Wi-Fi ecosystem is quietly developing in the background. The Wi-Fi Alliance recently announced that it expects more than 350 million 6 GHz-supporting Wi-Fi 6e products to enter the market this year. If this pans out, it's an impressive number, especially considering the Alliance only started certifying Wi-Fi 6e products a little over a year ago. This momentum has likely come from major markets such as the US, which opened the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed use in 2020. While Wi-Fi advocates have been focused on opening up the 6 GHz band, the mobile sector is engaged in spectrum battles on various fronts. In a recent paper, the industry body GSMA urged regulators to assign the 3.8—4.2 GHz, 4.8 GHz and 6 GHz bands for mobile. Some regulators have yet to be convinced. Ofcom has no plans for future mid-band spectrum auctions. Even if WRC-23 decides that the 6 GHz band should be identified for IMT, regulators will have to contend with a growing 6 GHz Wi-Fi ecosystem. If the 6 GHz band is as important for Wi-Fi as advocates say it is, not assigning the band for unlicensed use could cause countries to fall behind. The reality is that Wi-Fi remains prominent in people's everyday life. Ofcom’s own data shows that 73 per cent of all data connections use Wi-Fi rather than cellular. Emerging use cases such as virtual and augmented reality are also likely to rely on the standard. Whatever the result of WRC-23, regulators will need to consider both approaches carefully and take a long-term view in line with their national spectrum strategy.•
By | Richard Haas
Richard is a journalist and analyst at PolicyTracker. Apart from writing about spectrum policy news, his main responsibilities include maintaining the PolicyTracker Spectrum Database and the 5G Observatory website for the European Commission. Richard is fluent in English and German.

Comments

  • ITU IP Access says:

    Ofcom’s data shows that 73% of mobile device capacity comes from wi-fi. If you add laptops, TVs and iot, the wifi numbers are much, much higher.

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