• The EU Radio Spectrum Policy Group held a plenary meeting on 12 November
• It is set to recommend that 540 MHz of the upper 6 GHz band is allocated for mobile networks, while not allocating any spectrum in the band for Wi-Fi networks as yet 
• The Wi-Fi Alliance has expressed “strong disappointment” over the decision

The mobile industry has reason to celebrate after the European Union’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) reportedly issued a much-anticipated opinion on the future use of the upper 6 GHz band that favours future mobile networks such as 6G, as opposed to unlicensed Wi-Fi services.  

According to Reuters, the RSPG is recommending to the European Commission that 540MHz of the upper 6 GHz band goes to mobile operators, while the remaining 160 MHz is ‘frozen’ until the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27). 

The opinion has yet to be officially published by the RSPG, which is believed to have discussed the matter at its plenary meeting on 12 November, but its decision has been leaked and industry groups are already commenting on the outcome. 

Contentious issue  

The discussion about whether to release the upper 6 GHz band for mobile networks, Wi-Fi service providers, or both, has been hotly contested for months – see Battle lines are drawn over upper 6 GHz band in Europe

At stake are frequencies in the 6.425 GHz–7.125 GHz band, which was identified for mobile use by countries in EMEA, the Americas and the Asia Pacific at WRC-23. 

Prior to the publication of the RSPG opinion, the mobile industry and Wi-Fi community have been separately lobbying policymakers for what they see as crucial spectrum resources for their respective businesses.

Indeed, there was a buzz of activity in the past week, when the Wi-Fi Alliance and Dynamic Spectrum Alliance sent a joint open letter to express concerns over reports that the German government was now advocating that all 700 MHz in the band is prioritised for mobile networks.

Now that the RSPG opinion has, apparently, finally landed, some fairly predictable responses have been emerging from the two factions. 

Mobile operators have welcomed the RSPG’s opinion, but still clearly hope to secure the entire upper 6 GHz band at WRC-27. Laszlo Toth, head of Europe at the GSMA, the global industry body that represents mobile operators, has described the latest development as a “positive step towards building a robust spectrum roadmap for the launch of 6G in Europe”.

However, he observed in emailed comments that the RSPG “recognises that a constrained mobile assignment of 540 MHz of the upper 6 GHz band for licensed mobile use would, on its own, have fallen short of what is required for Europe to build advanced, resilient, and sovereign mobile networks”. 

Toth added: “Alongside any future WRC-27 decisions, this opinion can help secure the minimum bandwidth needed for 6G as planning continues.”

The Wi-Fi Alliance has in turn expressed “strong disappointment” over the RSPG’s recommendation not to make spectrum in the upper 6 GHz band available for Wi-Fi. “While the RSPG outcome keeps 160 MHz of the upper 6 GHz band nominally ‘on hold’ until late-2027, it offers no clear path toward Wi-Fi access and no protection for future Wi-Fi use,” the statement says. 

Kevin Robinson, president and CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance, said the recommendation “sends a deeply concerning signal to Europe’s digital ecosystem”.

He stated: “Europe cannot achieve its connectivity, sustainability, or innovation ambitions without strong, future-proof Wi-Fi infrastructure. Denying access to the upper 6 GHz band will constrain the very technology that connects most Europeans to the internet and provides the connectivity foundation for the region’s economy.” 

As for the lower 6 GHz (5.945GHz–6.425GHz) band, the EC has already harmonised the use of the spectrum across European Union member states for Wi-Fi services.

Elsewhere, the Wi-Fi Alliance provides an overview of markets that have adopted, or are considering adopting, the lower and/or upper 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi services. For example, the US has opened up the full 1200 MHz of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed systems. In contrast, China has opted to license it for 5G and 6G services.

- Anne Morris, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV