The either/or positions on upper 6GHz taken by competing interest groups are not convincing

A group of European CEOs of mobile network operators (MNOs) published an open letter in October 2024 arguing that the upper 6GHz band (6425MHz–7125MHz) should be assigned on an exclusive basis, essentially for IMT technologies.¹ This band has incumbents but is lightly utilised. The main alternative would be for the band to be licence-exempt and utilised for Wi-Fi, in particular for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, which are designed to utilise the spectrum. For context, the upper 6GHz band has been designated licence-exempt in Brazil, South Korea and the USA. It has been designated as licensed in China, and in Hong Kong, where the world’s first upper 6GHz auction took place in November 2024. 

This is the first of two articles on the increasingly politicised debate between the two perspectives. This article rehearses the ‘absolutist’ arguments for both sides, marshalling evidence for and against both sides, and the second focuses on the various hybrid approaches that could emerge as a compromise.