Two Competing Visions for the Upper 6 GHz Band Take Shape in Europe, but Only One Can Survive

The year 2026 began with troubling news for the Wi-Fi industry in Europe, as the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG), which advises the European Commission (EC) on the development of spectrum policy, publicly released its opinion that “the upper 6 GHz band will be the primary band suitable for the introduction of 6G in Europe by 2030.” This upper 6 Gigahertz (GHz) band, which the group recommends should be assigned for cellular use spans 700 Megahertz (MHz) from 6425 MHz to 7125 MHz, whereas the lower 6 GHz band, which has already been allocated for unlicensed Wi-Fi use across the bloc, represents a narrower 500 MHz portion from 5925 MHz to 6425 sMHz. Restricting Wi-Fi access to the lower 6 GHz band is not uncommon. In fact, over 80% of the countries that have enabled Wi-Fi access to the 6 GHz band, to date, have decided to release the lower portion only. What made the RSPG’s strong opinion surprising though was that it ran counter to the clear needs of the market and consumers. With the explosive growth of 6 GHz Wi-Fi in Europe (shipments of 6 GHz-enabled Wi-Fi equipment into Europe jumped 46% Year-over-Year in 2025, and are projected to increase by a further 76% in 2026), alongside the dearth of any 6 GHz cellular infrastructure solutions, the arguments in favor of reserving the upper 6 GHz for cellular usage were rapidly becoming untenable. Moreover, the RSPG’s conclusion also preempts the findings of an ongoing EC mandate on the feasibility of shared use of the upper 6 GHz band (6425 – 7125 MHz) between Wi-Fi and cellular use. This study, conducted by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), is not anticipated to be completed until 2027.

Yet on July 20, 2026 the United Kingdom’s telco regulator, Ofcom, rebalanced the contest for 6 GHz spectrum access in favor of Wi-Fi, when it announced its decision to permit expanded unlicensed Wi-Fi access to the upper 6 GHz spectrum band. This will see 160 MHz (6425 – 6585 MHz) being repurposed for the exclusive use of Wi-Fi, and the remaining 540 MHz (6585 – 7125 MHz) being shared between cellular and Wi-Fi. Interference between Wi-Fi and cellular in the shared frequencies will be prevented through the use of Wi-Fi Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems, which will first certify the absence of incumbents in the band in any given locality before authorizing Wi-Fi transmissions. That said, the low likelihood of 6 GHz cellular infrastructure arriving in the United Kingdom any time over the next decade means that interference is not something that Wi-Fi users will need to worry about for many years to come. AFC systems will also be used to allow higher power 6 GHz transmissions (up to 36 Decibel-Milliwatt (dBm), referred to as Standard Power 6 GHz) for the first time in the United Kingdom in the licensed except portions of 6 GHz, which will now range from to 5925 – 6585 MHz. In contrast to the RSPG’s opinion, the impacts of Ofcom’s policy shift will be immediate, as all currently deployed 6 GHz-enabled Wi-Fi infrastructure in the United Kingdom is already compatible with the entirety of the 6 GHz band, allowing for a significant expansion of spectrum capacity and vastly improved user Quality of Experience (QoE). ABI Research has previously explored the factors driving Ofcom’s decision-making and the broader implications of its policy shift in this ABI Insight, “Ofcom’s Innovative Framework for 6 GHz Spectrum Sharing Offers Possible Solution to 6 GHz Spectrum Challenges.”

The RSPG in the European Union (EU) and Ofcom in the United Kingdom have outlined two separate futures for the upper 6 GHz band. One prioritizes the needs of the cellular industry, reserving the entire 700 MHz exclusively for its needs, whereas Ofcom has adopted a more balanced approach, allowing shared access to the upper 540 MHz. This ABI Insight looks ahead to how this competition will play out at ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27), and provides recommendations for how the connectivity industry and national regulators should prepare for the conference.

The developments outlined above have reignited the fierce debate between the Wi-Fi and the cellular industry in Europe over who deserves access to the upper 6 GHz band and on what terms. This contest in Europe has been raging for over half a decade at this point, with both sides so intransigent that at ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Region 1, which includes Europe, was the only region that failed to officially allocate the upper 6 GHz band for either unlicensed or cellular use, instead opting to assign it for both. The intention that was in the years between WRC-23 and the upcoming WRC-27, taking place between October and November 2027 in Shanghai, spared spectrum models would be explored in ITU Region 1, so that a final decision on the fate of the upper 6 GHz could be made at WRC-27. Yet, while there have been studies, of which the ongoing EC mandate highlighted above is one example, up until July 20, 2026, there were no real-world case studies in the band to draw upon. This is why the recent policy revision by Ofcom is so important for Europe as a whole, because it will prove conclusively whether spectrum sharing in the upper 6 GHz is feasible and whether the needs of both the Wi-Fi and cellular industries can be satisfied simultaneously.

WRC-27 will also assess the possible allocation of the lower 7 GHz band (7125 – 7250 MHz) for cellular services in Region 1. This 125 MHz of spectrum sits adjacent to the upper 6 GHz band, and consequently possesses similar propagation properties and can be combined with the upper 6 GHz frequencies to allow wider channels for either cellular or Wi-Fi services. Additionally, the lower 7 GHz band can already be accessed by existing 6 GHz-enabled Wi-Fi chipsets, meaning that the existing and future Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 installed base can harness these frequencies immediately with no extra investment. For these reasons, stakeholders should also consider allowing spectrum sharing between Wi-Fi and cellular in this range also, so that both industries can derive benefit from the resources.

Outside of the technical possibility of spectrum sharing, there are numerous other justifications for a WRC-27 decision that permits Wi-Fi access in the upper 6 GHz band. Regulators and ecosystem stakeholders should be aware of these as they approach WRC-27. Some of the most compelling include the following

• The Existing 6 GHz Wi-Fi Ecosystem: The Wi-Fi industry has swiftly harnessed and monetized the opportunities offered by existing 6 GHz access. Highlighting this is the fact that shipments of 6 GHz-enabled Wi-Fi chipsets leapt from 213.8 million in 2022 to 684.0 million in 2024, and are projected to reach 1,383.9 million in 2026. Should access to 6 GHz be enabled in Europe, there is an existing installed base of 6 GHz Wi-Fi equipment and devices that can harness the new resources immediately.
• An Immediate Economic Boost: 6 GHz can already be harnessed by existing Wi-Fi infrastructure and devices, meaning expanded unlicensed 6 GHz will immediately translate into economic growth by providing enterprises with instant access to low-cost additional spectrum and the advanced connectivity to enable new use cases. In contrast, any economic boost from cellular 6 GHz services will not materialize for at least half a decade, likely longer.
• Enabling Improved QoE and New Use Cases:   The 6 GHz band’s additional bandwidth will be vital for handling the increasing number of connected Wi-Fi devices in residential and enterprise environments, and will also help facilitate the delivery of advanced applications requiring high throughputs and low latencies
• Supporting Economies of Scale: Creating 6 GHz spectrum policy harmonization with other regions (notably the United States) will help enable economies of scale, further benefitting the consumer with reduced product costs (as there will be less need for different Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) between regions) and the guarantee of comparable performance everywhere.
• Underutilization of Current Spectrum Resources by Cellular: Large swaths of the spectrum currently assigned for cellular use, including in the 700 MHz, 3.6 GHz, and 26 GHz bands, aren’t being utilized by 5G in Europe today. This suggests that the upper 6 GHz band could remain similarly underutilized.                                         

Regardless of the outcome of WRC-27 and the ongoing EC mandate process, ABI Research recommends that regulators across Europe act swiftly to provide clear timelines for implementing the decisions. This will provide much-needed clarity and certainty for industry stakeholders, allowing them to plan equipment development roadmaps and start strategizing for hardware deployments across the continent.