Statement and further consultation: Expanding access to the 6 GHz band for commercial mobile and Wi-Fi services

Statement and further consultation published 9 January 2026

This Statement sets out the decisions we are taking following the February 2025 consultation, along with additional proposals for our next steps regarding authorisation of Wi-Fi and mobile in Upper 6 GHz. This includes our decision to allow outdoor and higher power Wi-Fi in Lower 6 GHz, using AFC systems; and a proposal to extend AFC systems to include use of the Upper 6 GHz band.

• Consultation: Enabling automated frequency coordination (AFC) in the 6 GHz band

What we are further proposing – in brief

• To implement prioritised spectrum sharing in the Upper 6 GHz band, with:
  • A "Wi-Fi- priority" portion in the bottom 160 MHz of the band (6425–6585 MHz).
  • A "mobile priority" portion in the upper 540 MHz (6585–7125 MHz).
• To make the Wi-Fi priority portion available on the same basis as spectrum in the Lower 6 GHz band. This includes indoor and very lower power Wi-Fi, and also outdoor and higher power Wi-Fi provided this is under the control of an AFC system.
• To enable early access for Wi-Fi in the mobile priority portion of Upper 6 GHz. In response to feedback from the February 2025 consultation, we propose to only allow this access for Wi-Fi which is under the control of an AFC system. This will ensure that we can clear Wi-Fi out of the way, in the locations and channels where mobile deploys later on.

Responding to the further consultation

Please submit responses using the consultation response form no later than 5pm 20 March 2026.

Upper 6 GHz (6425–7125 MHz) has been identified for use by both Wi-Fi and mobile services. Today we have published a consultation to authorise both services to use the band through sharing. We are also consulting on authorising standard power Wi-Fi to use Lower 6 GHz (5925–6425 MHz) using an AFC database, including outdoors, if there is sufficient interest from industry. 

In May 2024, we published our vision for the Upper 6 GHz band, stating that we want to see sharing between mobile and Wi-Fi to unlock the maximum possible benefits of the band to all band users. As we work with international partners to push for harmonised standards of this, we are proposing to introduce low-power, indoor Wi-Fi into the band as early as is feasible - ideally by the end of 2025. We are further proposing to introduce mobile into the band later, once European harmonisation is more mature. We will introduce sharing mechanisms to facilitate coexistence between both services. We believe that this phased approach will maximise the benefits to citizens and consumers, allowing Wi-Fi to seed the market with devices capable of using Upper 6 GHz, and providing greater certainty to both services.

We also are seeking input on industry demand for authorising standard-power Wi-Fi (including outdoor use) using an AFC database, which we believe should help meet demand for outdoor use-cases such as stadiums.