By Claus Hetting, WiFi NOW CEO & Chairman
Europe’s debate over the future of the upper 6 GHz band is often framed as a choice between Wi-Fi and future mobile services. According to Alex Roytblat, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the Wi-Fi Alliance, that framing misses the real issue.
Speaking during a recent WiFi NOW webinar, Alex Roytblat argued that the upper 6 GHz decision is fundamentally about Europe’s digital competitiveness. The question is not whether Wi-Fi or mobile deserves the spectrum, but whether Europe can afford to leave hundreds of megahertz of valuable spectrum unused while waiting for a future technology that may still be years away.
His presentation combined technical, economic and regulatory arguments to explain why the Wi-Fi Alliance believes timely access to upper 6 GHz has become essential for next-generation wireless infrastructure.
Wi-Fi 7 was designed around 6 GHz
Wi-Fi 7 represents a significant advance over previous generations of Wi-Fi, introducing features such as Multi-Link Operation (MLO), deterministic low latency and support for 320 MHz channels. According to Alex Roytblat, these capabilities depend heavily on access to the 6 GHz band. While Wi-Fi 7 devices continue to operate in the traditional 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, those bands simply do not provide enough contiguous spectrum to deliver the technology’s full capabilities in dense real-world deployments.
This becomes increasingly important as homes and enterprises continue adding connected devices. The average European today uses well over ten Wi-Fi-connected devices, with many households supporting dozens of simultaneously active clients competing for the same wireless channels.
The additional spectrum available in upper 6 GHz dramatically increases channel availability while enabling the wide 160 MHz and 320 MHz channels that Wi-Fi 7 was designed to exploit.
The UK and Europe are taking different paths
Roytblat compared the UK’s proposed regulatory approach with the current recommendation issued by the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG).
Under Ofcom’s proposal:
- Standard-power Wi-Fi under Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) could eventually operate across the full upper 6 GHz band; an additional 160 MHz would become available for low-power indoor Wi-Fi;
- client devices supporting upper 6 GHz could begin entering the UK market immediately, helping to establish the device ecosystem ahead of wider deployment.
- By contrast, the current RSPG recommendation effectively reserves most of the upper 6 GHz band pending the outcome of WRC-27 and possible future IMT decisions.
According to Alex Roytblat, this means Europe could spend several more years waiting while much of the spectrum remains unused.
Why channel availability matters
One of the more technical sections of Alex Roytblat’s presentation focused on channel diversity. Unlike many other wireless technologies, Wi-Fi devices share spectrum using a listen-before-talk protocol. As more devices compete for the same channels, contention increases and performance falls.
The solution is not simply additional bandwidth, but more independent channels that allow multiple devices to operate simultaneously with minimal interference. The additional channels available in upper 6 GHz become particularly valuable in high-density environments such as apartment buildings, offices, campuses and public venues where hundreds or even thousands of devices may be operating at the same time.
Fibre only solves part of the problem
Perhaps the strongest economic argument presented concerned Europe’s investment in fibre broadband. Europe continues investing billions of euros in gigabit fibre infrastructure as part of its Digital Decade objectives. However, fibre generally terminates at the building. Users access that connectivity via Wi-Fi.
According to Alex Roytblat, approximately 90% of broadband traffic ultimately reaches end devices over Wi-Fi rather than Ethernet. If Wi-Fi lacks sufficient spectrum, users cannot consistently experience the performance that fibre is capable of delivering. In practical terms, Europe’s investment risks becoming fibre-to-the-building rather than gigabit connectivity for users throughout the home or workplace.
Waiting also carries a cost
A central theme throughout the presentation was that delaying spectrum decisions is not a neutral choice. Reserving spectrum that cannot yet be used also means postponing innovation. Alex Roytblat identified several potential consequences:
- Delayed deployment of Wi-Fi 7 capabilities
- Increasing congestion in indoor wireless networks;
- Slower adoption of advanced applications;
- Reduced return on public investment in fibre infrastructure;
- A weaker global device ecosystem for Europe.
While future mobile services remain an important consideration, he argued that holding spectrum in reserve for technology expected later in the decade creates an opportunity cost that should also be recognised.
Mobile economics deserve attention
Another notable aspect of the presentation was its discussion of mobile operator economics. Rather than arguing against mobile services, Alex Roytblat suggested that Wi-Fi and cellular networks should be viewed as complementary technologies.
Drawing on recent industry reports, he noted that European mobile operators continue facing pressure on profitability despite rising traffic volumes. Much of that traffic originates indoors—precisely where Wi-Fi already provides the primary connectivity platform. Enabling more capable Wi-Fi networks, he argued, allows cellular networks to concentrate on what they do best: delivering wide-area mobility while offloading high-volume indoor traffic to local wireless infrastructure.
AFC offers a different model
Alex Roytblat also welcomed Ofcom’s proposed use of Automated Frequency Coordination. Rather than permanently assigning spectrum to one service or another, AFC allows regulators to manage access dynamically. Authorised databases calculate which frequencies and transmit power levels may be used at specific locations while protecting incumbent users.
The concept has already been deployed successfully in the United States and Canada for fixed incumbent protection. Alex Roytblat argued that extending the same principle to future mobile deployments demonstrates how dynamic spectrum sharing can provide flexibility without requiring valuable spectrum to remain idle for many years.
Looking towards Wi-Fi 8
Although much of the discussion centred on Wi-Fi 7, Roytblat also looked ahead. By the time Europe completes its current regulatory process, Wi-Fi 8 is expected to be approaching commercial introduction.
The next generation of Wi-Fi will continue increasing expectations for reliability, latency and deterministic performance, further reinforcing the importance of adequate spectrum resources. From the Wi-Fi Alliance’s perspective, today’s regulatory decisions therefore extend well beyond one product generation. They influence the evolution of the entire wireless ecosystem throughout the coming decade.
WiFi NOW Perspective: The Wi-Fi Alliance’s presentation highlighted an important aspect of the upper 6 GHz debate that sometimes receives less attention than the technical coexistence discussion: timing.
Spectrum policy is often viewed as a long-term planning exercise, but delaying decisions also has consequences. Equipment ecosystems continue evolving, enterprise requirements continue growing and new Wi-Fi generations continue arriving regardless of regulatory schedules.
Whether Europe ultimately adopts Ofcom’s proposed sharing model or follows a different path, one point is increasingly difficult to dispute. The upper 6 GHz decision is no longer simply about allocating radio spectrum. It has become part of a broader conversation about digital infrastructure, fibre investment, enterprise competitiveness and the pace of wireless innovation across Europe.
Editorial note: This article is based on a presentation by Alex Roytblat, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at the Wi-Fi Alliance, during a WiFi NOW webinar on European 6 GHz regulation, together with supporting presentation material. The WiFi NOW Perspective reflects WiFi NOW’s independent editorial analysis.