Ofcom's 6 GHz Decision Seen as a Big Win for Wi-Fi Advocates
The U.K.’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) announced Friday that it has decided to allow the use of outdoor and higher-power Wi-Fi devices in the lower 6 GHz band, provided that they're controlled by an automated frequency coordination system. Ofcom also said it plans to award mobile licenses in “high density” areas of the U.K. in the upper band. While it's a more constrained approach than the U.S., where all 1,200 MHz of the band is available for unlicensed use, Wi-Fi advocates told us that Ofcom’s policy calls were a victory for their side.
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The Ofcom decision comes as the FCC considers higher power levels in the 6 GHz band through the use of geofenced variable power devices (see 2601080066). Ofcom had sought comment on the issue in a February consultation (see 2502130058).
“Future predictions of demand for both Wi-Fi and mobile remain somewhat uncertain at this stage,” Ofcom said. Allowing use of the 6 GHz band now for Wi-Fi “whilst ensuring that both Wi-Fi and mobile can have the access they need in the future should lead to a better outcome for people and businesses.” Ofcom approved a “Wi-Fi-priority” allocation in the bottom 160 MHz of the band (6425-6585 MHz) and “mobile-priority” portion in the upper 540 MHz (6585-7125 MHz).
Alex Roytblat, vice president of regulatory affairs at the Wi-Fi Alliance, said Ofcom’s proposal shows a “clear-eyed assessment of market reality.” Wi-Fi is already providing “high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, while 6 GHz mobile remains speculative,” he told us in an email. Ofcom is taking a “pragmatic, growth-focused approach.”
Christopher Szymanski, Broadcom's director of product marketing, said allowing standard power in the lower 6 GHz band is “a positive step toward delivering much-needed outdoor wireless capacity” across the U.K. He noted that the steps Ofcom is taking come as the EU considers delaying use of the upper 6 GHz band until after the next World Radiocommunication Conference in late 2027.
Szymanski added that Ofcom is also considering making an additional 160 MHz available under the same rules, which would create two 320 MHz channels for low-power indoor and very-low-power portable use, “providing a critical pipeline for innovation.” While it’s “disappointing” that “opportunistic use” in the upper 6 GHz is deferred, “it’s welcome that it remains under consideration.”
The U.K.’s decision is “a really big deal for the Wi-Fi industry,” said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America. Mobile operators “have been winning the debate” in Europe on whether Wi-Fi should be authorized "in large channels across the entire 6 GHz band,” as it is today in the U.S., Canada and most of the Americas, he said. Now the U.K. “is leaning heavily toward the U.S. framework,” which should put “increasing pressure on European regulators to adopt a similar approach.”
A WifiForward spokesperson emailed that during the first Trump administration, the U.S. “made a wise decision to open the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed use.” That leadership is “mak[ing] a difference today with Ofcom’s announcement and [we] are encouraged that regulators globally are recognizing the need to create a spectrum pipeline for unlicensed technologies.”