With the conclusion of the 2023 World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23) in December came proclamations that a global consensus on mid-band spectrum harmonization, specifically the 6 GHz band, was achieved. The GSMA, for instance, declared that “6 GHz spectrum is now the harmonised home for the expansion of mobile capacity for 5G-Advanced and beyond.”
However, Broadcom’s Director of Product Marketing Christopher Szymanski told RCR Wireless News that this is clearly not the case given the variance in portions of spectrum identified and the conditions in which the spectrum was allocated. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) identified 6425-7125 MHz for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), noting that this band is also used for deployment of RLANs (e.g., Wi-Fi). The APAC region was given the 7025-7125 MHz band as their IMT allocation (Cambodia, Laos and Maldives were exceptions and received the full 6425-7125 GHz band for IMT). There was no identification in the Americas except for Mexico and Brazil, which identified IMT for 6425-7125.
Furthermore, Szymanski commented that many of the assumptions underlying the technical studies and demand assessments do not appear to reflect reality.
Shifting goalposts
In fewer than three months after the WRC’s decision on IMT allocations for the 6 GHz band, the goalposts were already shifting. Specifically, the IMT community is now saying that the power studied for IMT was insufficient, that wider deployment of base stations than was contemplated is needed and that equipment will not be ready for a long time. In Hong Kong, for example, mobile operators have advised the region’s regulator that its plans to auction parts of the upper 6 GHz band in the first quarter of 2025 for IMT usage are premature due to the lack of an ecosystem and available equipment in this band.
“They are already demonstrating that the assumptions that they used to demonstrate compatibility with existing services went out the window,” said Szymanski, explaining that now, the IMT community is saying they can’t meet the market requirements in a reasonable timeline. “The ink isn’t even dry on the WRC printout, and they’re saying the study parameters aren’t realistic for a commercial deployment, which just shows that the studies undertaken were insufficient for administrations to determine real world impact from an IMT identification,” he said.
Creating and destroying value
Wi-Fi equipment, in contrast, can create value in these spectrum bands today if regulators take action. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance there will be more than 807 million 6 GHz Wi-Fi Devices shipped before the end of 2024. “Wi-Fi needs this spectrum right now,” stated Szymanski. “The goal in having all 1200 MHz for Wi-Fi is making sure that whether it’s a managed deployment or a residential deployment, there is a high probability for reliable high throughput and low latency wireless broadband access.”
While some more technologically advanced countries such as the United States and South Korea have opened up the whole 6 GHz band, there are countries — like those in Europe —that have only opened the lower part of the 6 GHz band and are studying how to enable more robust use of the upper 6 GHz band (e.g., IMT use, Wi-Fi use, or some shared/hybrid use). Those countries taking this incremental approach may find that a delay in opening the upper part of the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi will delay the economic value that can be unlocked even after the band is opened.
This is because all the user devices that have been shipped into these markets before more spectrum is opened in the 6 GHz band will be constrained to operating in only the lower 6 GHz. It will take many years for devices that are shipping today to be completely removed from the market. So, that means that 100% of 6 GHz enabled Wi-Fi devices will be able to operate in the lower 6 GHz, but maybe less than 50% of the devices will be able to operate in the upper 6 GHz even two or three years after this band is opened up.
As a result, it will be difficult to plan networks using these upper 6 GHz channels because a smartphone or laptop computer may not be able to access these frequencies. Regulators could mitigate this risk by allowing user equipment to be certified to operate over the entire 6 GHz band. There would be essentially no risk because these devices will not transmit on a frequency unless an access point is certified and can operate on that frequency.
“Value is already being created and destroyed because every one of my chipsets operates over the entire band and we are limiting it functionally through software,” said Szymanski. “Unless administrations take action, there will be a networking bias to use the lower frequencies for many years.”
