Amid mounting antitrust and regulatory scrutiny, Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft continue to advance spectrum policy agendas across an range of spectrum bands and sectors. The four strongly support unlicensed spectrum policies—particularly in the 3.5 GHz, 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands—and spectrum sharing models. Amazon, Google and Microsoft are… Read more...

Microsoft is continuing its march into both the 5G (including private 5G) and telco spaces. In addition to its long-standing support for unlicensed spectrum and spectrum sharing, Microsoft has upped the stakes in the satellite sector, meaning that its interest in spectrum availability for satellite operators has also become a… Read more...

Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, is a key supporter of unlicensed spectrum, notably in the 6 GHz and 60 GHz bands. The company is also a keen advocate of spectrum sharing for multiple use cases. Read more...

Amazon is increasingly active in both the mobile and satellite ecosystems. It is a strong supporter of unlicensed and shared spectrum use. Amazon’s project Kuiper is authorised to use Ka-band spectrum and the protection and preservation of the 28 GHz band for satellite services is a priority for Amazon. The… Read more...

Google has extensive experience in cloud-based spectrum sharing in the CBRS 3.5 GHz band. The company is a key supporter of unlicensed mid-band spectrum, along with unlicensed 60 GHz. Google is active in the private network space and is also venturing into the satellite connectivity space. Read more...

The mobile industry's drive to build out networks continued apace in 2023. While the main focus remained on 5G rollout, some telcos are still expanding their 4G LTE and even 3G services. Interest in open radio access networks (Open RAN), particularly around standalone (SA) networks, increased, as did 6G-related activities.… Read more...

The exploding number of satellite constellations, and growing national and international interest in a range of space initiatives from communications to climate change monitoring, have sparked a policy push to determine whether more spectrum is needed to power space activities and if so, in what bands. This research note considers… Read more...

PolicyTracker’s unlicensed 6 GHz benchmark now includes 83 nations and territories where unlicensed policies are either planned or in place. Seventy-seven per cent of nations in the benchmark have authorised or are planning to authorise unlicensed use of the lower 6 GHz range (5295/5245—6425 MHz). The remaining 23 per cent… Read more...

While nations have taken different decisions on opening the entire 6 GHz or the lower 6 GHz range for unlicensed use, there are also variations in policy approaches in terms of technical specifications for unlicensed operations and permitted modes of use and in relation to mechanisms used to implement unlicensed… Read more...

Recently endorsed by the European Commission, the concept of cashless spectrum auctions is growing in popularity. But what is a cashless spectrum auction, and what do examples of this type of award reveal about its risks? Read more...