Podcast: What will “5G on steroids” mean for spectrum policy?

6G is expected to emerge around 2030, but it is still far from clear what shape it will take. In the latest episode of the PolicyTracker Spectrum Podcast, we speak to William Webb about his new book on the topic and discuss what implications the next generation of mobile technology might have for spectrum policy. 

Webb says that 6G is most likely to amount to “5G on steroids”. Most vendors, the ITUThe International Telecommunication U… and those in academia are advocating for this—faster than 5G, with more capacity and lower latency.

Yet rolling out this ambitious technology would require vast new spectrum resources. Webb estimates it would need nearly 10 times more than 5G did, which he says is around 4 GHz of new spectrum.

Webb disagrees with this view of 6G and thinks the focus should be on improving coverage and reducing costs. New spectrum will not be needed for this. 6G will be fine relying on refarming existing bands, and maybe adding the UHF or 6 GHz bands in the future.

Listen to the new podcast below. You can also find it on all major podcast platforms.