The fibre optic association says prioritising the allocation of the upper 6 GHz band for mobile communications would harm Europe’s digital landscape
Germany’s Federal Association of Broadband Communication (BREKO) has reacted angrily to media reports that the German government plans to advocate at the European level for the priority allocation of the entire upper 6 GHz frequency band for mobile communications.
This Battle Royale is being waged globally by, on one side, the US-dominated wi-fi industry and on the other hand non-US telcos and things are starting to get messy given both sides are pretty much demanding an all or nothing approach.
“The fact that the German government wants to reserve the valuable frequencies in the upper 6 GHz band exclusively for mobile communications is based on a fatal miscalculation and is a bitter disappointment for Europe as a digital location,” said Lisia Mix-Bieber, head of federal and European Policy at BREKO.
The association argues that instead of strengthening free wi-fi access for all citizens and “efficiently bringing the bandwidth made possible by fibre optics to all mobile devices”, reserving frequencies for mobile network operators would offer no short-term benefit and, at best, only marginally improve network coverage in metropolitan areas in the long term. BREKO added it would therefore be “a serious mistake – both from a technical and an economic perspective”.
“This German position must not find a majority at the European level. Instead, the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) should recommend to the European Commission on 12 November that at least 320 MHz in the upper 6 GHz band be reserved for license-free WLAN use,” fumed the association.
Speaking to Heise Online, the government was holding its line. “The frequency requirements of mobile network operators in the upper 6 GHz band are assessed as greater with a view to future 6G applications” than those of WLAN users, said a spokesperson for the responsible Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDS). “Considering the needs of various interest groups,” prioritising 6G appears to be “the most appropriate solution.”
Only last week, Heise pointed out that a coalition of broadband operators and vendors – Deutsche Giganetz, Deutsche Glasfaser, EWE TEL, Fritz, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Lancom, and NetCologne – wrote to Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) calling for the entire upper 6 GHz band (6425 – 7125 MHz) to be released for license-free WLAN use. They claim 6 GHz is the last remaining band that can be meaningfully used for WLAN and indoor coverage.
France’s position
Last month, a panel of French and international academics advising French regulator Arcep has raised questions about the regulator’s recent study on the future use of wireless spectrum, particularly its treatment of the upper 6 GHz band.
The study assessed future demand on wireless networks to 2035 and modelled how new frequency allocations might affect network capacity and carbon emissions. The results suggested that assigning the upper portion of the 6 GHz band (6425–7125 MHz) to mobile operators could sharply reduce the number of new mobile sites required under high-demand scenarios, helping to limit both costs and energy use.
In its review, however, the advisory committee – comprising Clément Marquet (Mines Paris-PSL), James F. Kurose (University of Massachusetts), Jean-Samuel Beuscart (Sciences Po Medialab) and Marios Kountouris (EURECOM) – said the Arcep study did not examine an equivalent scenario in which part or all of the upper 6 GHz band would be opened to Wi-Fi, nor did it model potential coexistence between cellular and unlicensed technologies.
Other jurisdictions
In the UK, BT is backing an all-or-nothing approach for securing 6 GHz for mobile, stating: “the proposed sharing of upper 6GHz spectrum between mobile networks and Wi-Fi could cause the respective channels to overlap. This would deliver both technical and operational challenges, resulting in a worst-of-both-worlds experience.”
Australia is opting for the shared upper band approach. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has finalised arrangements to expand wi-fi use into part of the upper 6 GHz band by remaking the Radiocommunications (Low Interference Potential Devices) Class Licence. The update extends radio local area network operations into the 6,425–6,585 MHz range, allocating 160 MHz for wi-fi while reserving the remainder (6,585–7,125 MHz) for future mobile broadband services.
Combined with the already available 5,925–6,425 MHz segment, Australia will have 660 MHz of spectrum for wi-fi, supporting bandwidth-intensive applications like ultra-high-definition streaming and immersive gaming while maintaining international spectrum harmonisation. The regulator’s decision was supported by NBN Co and Wi-Fi advocates but opposed by mobile carriers seeking more licensed spectrum.
