Europe is at a crossroads in unlocking the future of high-performance, affordable connectivity. While the lower half of the 6 GHz band has already been designated for unlicensed use, the upper half remains under debate. At Genexis and the Wi-Fi Coalition, we fully support allocating the upper 6 GHz band for license-exempt Wi-Fi use. Why? Because it matters—for innovation, for users, and for Europe’s digital competitiveness.
A delayed start with real consequences
Europe adopted the lower 6 GHz band later than other regions like the United States, which opted early to open the entire band for Wi-Fi. Regulatory delays meant that even after the 2021 deadline, many EU countries were slow to implement national frameworks. This fragmented rollout hindered the development of Wi-Fi 6E devices and slowed their market adoption.
Moreover, supporting 6 GHz Wi-Fi requires new hardware—tri-band routers that add a third radio on top of the existing 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. But with only half the spectrum available, many companies have hesitated to invest fully. The result: a limited value proposition.
Why we need more spectrum – not less
The common argument against expanding unlicensed use is that the current 6 GHz spectrum isn’t fully utilized yet. But that misses the point. Congestion in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands is already a major issue, and demand for bandwidth is growing rapidly. From video calls and smart homes to AR/VR and industrial applications, the need for clean, high-capacity spectrum has never been greater.
The upper 6 GHz band offers this—and more. With up to 1200 MHz of total bandwidth, Wi-Fi 7 can support multiple 320 MHz-wide channels. This is crucial in dense environments like apartment buildings, where overlapping networks cause interference and reduce speeds. Full access means better performance, lower latency, and less congestion.
Wi-Fi is the right fit—especially indoors
My view is fairly simple, and it comes down to the physical properties of radio frequencies. Wi-Fi, not mobile, is better suited for this spectrum because of signal strength. Higher frequencies like 6 GHz have poor wall penetration and struggle to reach indoors from outdoor cell towers. But Wi-Fi is already indoors—your router is where you are. That makes it ideal for the kind of high-bandwidth applications most people use at home, in offices, or in public places.
Even mobile operators recognize this. When you’re at home or indoors, your phone offloads most of its data to Wi-Fi. It’s more efficient, less costly, and ensures better performance. In effect, mobile networks rely on Wi-Fi to handle indoor traffic. That’s a big reason why it makes sense to assign the upper 6 GHz to license-exempt use rather than licensed use. Additionally, Wi-Fi is simply more energy efficient in terms of energy consumption.
Serving users with better, faster, affordable Wi-Fi
Opening the upper 6 GHz band offers significant benefits for users. It allows for faster, more reliable Wi-Fi, particularly in congested homes and apartment buildings where interference is common. With increased spectrum, users enjoy smoother video calls, quicker downloads, and enhanced performance for gaming and smart devices, an overall better Wi-Fi experience. Importantly, Wi-Fi is a cost-effective choice, providing high-speed connectivity without the data fees typically associated with mobile networks. The unlicensed spectrum also fosters innovation without the constraints or expenses of licensed access.
Fiber + Wi-Fi = the full promise of Gigabit Europe
Europe is heavily investing in Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH), delivering gigabit and even 10 gigabit speeds. But these ultra-fast connections are bottlenecked if the in-home Wi-Fi can’t keep up. You can’t fully benefit from 10 Gbps fiber if your Wi-Fi tops out at 1 Gbps due to limited spectrum. Investing in fiber while ignoring Wi-Fi is a short-sighted strategy that limits overall network performance.
A strategic opportunity for Europe
Opening the upper 6 GHz band for unlicensed use is not just a technical decision; it’s a strategic one. It enables faster, more affordable internet access, reduces congestion, supports innovation, and complements Europe’s fiber investments. It is better suited for where and how people actually use bandwidth—indoors, with Wi-Fi.
The time to act is now. Let’s ensure Europe doesn’t fall behind.
