Europe sets out its spectrum roadmap for 6G

• The EU Radio Spectrum Policy Group is calling for comments on its latest draft opinion
• The hotly contested upper 6 GHz band is seen as the most suitable band for 6G in Europe by 2030
• Several bands are deemed appropriate, while spectrum sharing solutions are also essential

It’s been a busy period for the European Union’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) as it seeks to ensure that the region’s spectrum strategy is in good order to enable mass-market 6G services.

Fresh from the publication of its recommendations on the future use of the upper 6 GHz band in the EU’s member states, the body is now calling for comments on the Draft RSPG Opinion on a 6G Spectrum Roadmap with a deadline of 27 March 2026. 

The latest document, which is a follow-up to the RSPG Report on 6G Strategic Vision that was published in February 2025, aims to provide a clear assessment of spectrum availability and requirements while 6G is still in the early development phase.

Noting that 6G systems are generally expected to be available by around 2030, the spectrum roadmap “has been developed to facilitate the launch of 6G on a large scale in Europe”, the RSPG stated.

“The goal is to create a common ecosystem and market for network and terminal equipment in Europe so that the benefits of 6G services are available to all European citizens in a timely manner, driving industrial and societal transformation and economic growth in Europe from 2030 and beyond,” it added.

The RSPG opinion paper essentially identifies the frequency bands that “should” be made available for the launch of mass-market 6G services, “and for supporting development of various vertical markets and responding to relevant market demand and various European and national 6G policies”. 

Banding together 

It seems that several bands are deemed suitable for the next generation of mobile services. For instance, the RSPG concludes that 6G can be implemented in all low, mid, and high frequency bands that have already been harmonised for mobile broadband services.

This encompasses the sub-1 GHz bands (700 MHz, 800 MHz and 900 MHz); 1500 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2 GHz, 2.6 GHz and 3.6 GHz mid-bands; and 26 GHz and 42 GHz high bands. The RSPG is therefore recommending that vendors start to develop equipment that supports 6G technology within these frequency bands.

Notably, the RSPG thinks that the upper 6 GHz band (6425-7125 MHz) will be the primary band suitable for the introduction of 6G in Europe by 2030 because it can “enable implementation of 6G use cases that require more capacity than 5G services”.

The upper 6 GHz band was identified for mobile use by countries in EMEA, the Americas and the Asia Pacific at the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23). However, it has proved something of a hot potato in the intervening period because both the mobile industry and Wi-Fi community see it as a crucial spectrum resource for their respective businesses.

Following months of lobbying, the RSPG issued an opinion in November 2025 on the future use of the upper 6 GHz band in the EU that favours future mobile networks such as 6G, as opposed to unlicensed Wi-Fi services. The group has recommended to the European Commission that 540 MHz of this band goes to mobile operators, while the remaining 160 MHz is ‘frozen’ until the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27).

Meanwhile, the RSPG has also examined other frequency bands that could be used for 6G, but which have yet to be identified for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT). These include the 7125-7250 MHz band, which will be studied at WRC-27 for possible identification for IMT.

Other bands to be namechecked as potentially suitable for 6G include “very high frequency bands, including sub-THz bands, which are currently still a subject for research and long term studies at international level”.

Noting that demand for spectrum continues to rise, the RSPG has also emphasised that “spectrum sharing solutions” are becoming essential and it “encourages the academic community and industry to further research and develop sharing mechanisms”. 

For more details, you can read the full opinion here. 

Also worth noting here is that the RSPG itself is set to undergo a transformation once the recently unveiled Digital Networks Act (DNA) has been adopted. As the newly named Radio Spectrum Policy Body (RSPB), it will have full status as an EU body, advising the Commission and member state authorities on spectrum policy issues, including coordination.

The DNA aims to create the Office for Digital Networks (ODN) in Riga, Latvia. The ODN will assist the new RSPB as well as the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communication Services (BEREC), in effect replacing the BEREC Office.

- Anne Morris, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV