Blow for Wi-Fi industry as 6GHz spectrum handed to mobile data

A valuable chunk of 6GHz radio spectrum has been allocated for use by 5G and forthcoming 6G networks, in a blow to the Wi-Fi industry.

The upper 6GHz band (6,425 to 7,125MHz) was being fought over by representatives from both the mobile data and Wi-Fi industries. However, at last week’s ITU World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23), it was decided to award the spectrum to the mobile industry in each of the three regions across the world, according to a report from ISPReview.co.uk.

The lower part of the 6GHz band had already been allocated to Wi-Fi, and is in use by existing Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 equipment, the latter of which is beginning to trickle onto the market in recent weeks.

However, the Wi-Fi equipment makers had hoped to land the upper part of the spectrum too, to increase the bandwidth available for unlicensed Wi-Fi equipment, but those plans appear to have been scuppered.

The hybrid approach for 5G and Wi-Fi 7

There is a potential compromise in the offing, however. The UK’s telecoms regulator Ofcom is exploring a hybrid approach, where mobile data and Wi-Fi equipment shares the upper 6GHz band.

Ofcom envisages that the spectrum could be shared in a couple of different ways, according to a consultation paper (PDF) that the regulator released in September.

It says there could be an indoor/outdoor split, where Wi-Fi equipment is granted permission to use the spectrum for indoor use only, and mobile mopping up the outdoor coverage. Alternatively, it could be geographically split, with mobile given priority in “specific high-traffic locations” and Wi-Fi use permitted elsewhere.

The big problem is potential interference. As Ofcom noted, today’s Wi-Fi equipment is pretty good at detecting interference from other Wi-Fi networks, but it can’t detect mobile signals in the same way. This makes it harder for the two technologies to co-exist in the same spectrum slot.

Ofcom was waiting for the decision from WRC-23 before plotting the way forward, but it will likely require international agreement to make the hybrid approach work. “Any hybrid sharing mechanisms required will likely need certain features and capabilities implemented in devices and/or network equipment for which international harmonisation is important to create economies of scale,” Ofcom conceded in its consultation paper.

“This will provide an incentive for equipment manufacturers to integrate hybrid sharing mechanisms in a way that would be unlikely for UK-specific requirements.

“Our work with other European administrations to develop harmonised hybrid sharing mechanisms will continue after WRC-23, regardless of the outcome of WRC-23,” the regulator added.