What to Do About the 6GHz Upper Band Split

The upper 6 gigahertz band is fracturing among national lines after a verdict from regulatory bodies in the UK and the EU. While the US enjoys full Wi-Fi access along the entire 1200 megahertz, the EU has decided to reserve most of the upper band for mobile services, and the UK is testing a split priority model. Keith breaks down why your data sheets may start to mislead you in global rollouts and how to design networks with confidence in this new regulatory landscape.

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Links:
FCC Opens 6 GHz Band to Wi-Fi and Other Unlicensed Uses - FCC - https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-opens-6-ghz-band-wi-fi-and-other-unlicensed-uses-0
FCC Fact Sheet - April 2, 2020 (PDF) - https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/doc-363490a1.pdf
FCC 6 GHz Update Fact Sheet - Nov 2024 (PDF) - https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-407628A1.pdf
Expanding access to the 6 GHz band for commercial mobile and Wi-Fi services (PDF) - Ofcom - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-3-4-weeks/consultation-expanding-access-to-the-6-ghz-band-for-commercial-mobile-and-wi-fi-services/main-document/expanding-access-to-the-6-ghz-band-for-commercial-mobile-and-wi-fi-services.pdf
Statement and further consultation: Expanding access to the 6 GHz band for commercial mobile and Wi-Fi services - Ofcom - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/spectrum/innovative-use-of-spectrum/consultation-expanding-access-to-the-6-ghz-band-for-commercial-mobile-and-wi-fi-services
Mandate to the CEPT (PDF) - CEPT - https://cept.org/files/1412/Mandate%20to%20CEPT%20upper%206%20GHz%20band.pdf
Upper 6 GHz - Outcome of the 2023 ITU-R WRC-23 - IEEE - https://www.ieee802.org/11/email/stds-802-11/msg07844.html
Ofcom maps out split-priority approach for upper 6 GHz band - RCR Wireless - https://www.rcrwireless.com/20260109/policy/ofcom-6-ghz
Ofcom publishes statement and launches further consultation on 6 GHz spectrum sharing - techUK - https://www.techuk.org/resource/ofcom-publishes-statement-and-launches-further-consultation-on-6-ghz-spectrum-sharing.html
Ofcom proposes sharing 6GHz band between Mobile and Wi-Fi - thinkbroadband - https://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/ofcom-proposes-sharing-6ghz-band-between-mobile-and-wi-fi
Ofcom sets out plans for mobile, Wi-Fi to share upper 6 GHz spectrum band - Computer Weekly - https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366637063/Ofcom-sets-out-plans-for-mobile-Wi-Fi-to-share-upper-6-GHz-spectrum-band
WRC-23 and the unresolved battle for 6 GHz - IIC Intermedia - https://iicintermedia.org/vol-52-issue-1/wrc-23-and-the-unresolved-battle-for-6-ghz/
Special Feature: The Road to WRC-23: Regional Bodies Debate the Future of the Upper 6 GHz Band - Wi-Fi Alliance - https://www.wi-fi.org/beacon/the-beacon/special-feature-the-road-to-wrc-23-regional-bodies-debate-the-future-of-the-upper
Wi-Fi 7 and the Growing Future of Wireless Design Guide - Cisco - https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/networking/wireless/wifi7-future-of-wireless-dg.html
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) Technical Guide - Cisco - https://documentation.meraki.com/Wireless/Design_and_Configure/Architecture_and_Best_Practices/Wi-Fi_7_(802.11be)_Technical_Guide
Innovation, productivity – and common sense: Contrasting UK and EU proposals for upper 6 GHz Wi-Fi regulation - Wi-Fi NOW Global - https://wifinowglobal.com/news-blog/innovation-productivity-and-common-sense-contrasting-uk-and-eu-proposals-for-for-upper-6-ghz-wi-fi-regulation/
GUEST PAPER: What Ofcom’s ‘Better Together’ 6 GHz plan means for Wi-Fi, mobile, & the EU - Wi-Fi NOW Global - https://wifinowglobal.com/news-and-blog/guest-paper-what-ofcoms-better-together-6-ghz-plan-means-for-wi-fi-mobile-the-eu/
Socio-economic benefits of IMT versus RLAN in the 6425-7125 MHz band in Europe (PDF) - Dynamic Spectrum Alliance - https://dynamicspectrumalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DSA-Report-6425-7125-MHz-EU-Study.pdf

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