In October last year the U.S. Federal Communications Commission passed a notice of proposed rulemaking that considers opening up the 6 GHz band to unlicensed use. And, as with any major spectrum decision, numerous industry stakeholders are making the case for and against any potential change during the ongoing comment period.
Specifically, the FCC is considering allowing unlicensed use of a 1200 megahertz between 5.925 GHz and 7.125 GHz. Wi-Fi and unlicensed cellular could tap the valuable mid-band spectrum, while incumbent users, particularly cable broadcasters who use the frequency to send out breaking news, sporting events and the like, and carriers who use it for point-to-point microwave backhaul.