As more aspects of modern life become connected, internet usage continues to rise. Despite the impacts of COVID-19 on the supply chain, the number of connected devices in 2021 is still expected to surpass 12 billion active endpoints, which is due to rise to 27 billion in the next four years. Almost 60% of the World’s population are now internet users, and every minute of the day there are over 5 million google searches, 12 million iMessages sent, and 6 million people shopping online. By 2023, half of the connections to the internet will start or end by W-Fi, says Martha Suarez, president of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance.
In times of difficulty, such as those imposed by the global pandemic, the internet has also offered a lifeline to those forced to adjust their daily routine. Activities such as food shopping or talking to loved ones which previously did not involve an internet connection, can now be conducted virtually at a distance. Despite its conception back in 2013, the teleconferencing app Zoom rose to new levels of popularity during the pandemic, seeing 200 million daily participants during May 2020, rising to 300 million in the very next month. In the UK by February 2021, over 70% of people in the UK said they shop online more frequently than they did before the pandemic, with similar trends being noted in China, the US, Singapore, Australia, Singapore, and Canada.
But spectrum is a finite source, and as internet usage continues to rise, governments and regulators must allocate sufficient bandwidth to meet demand. If available spectrum becomes overburdened, congestion will occur, and Quality of Service (QoS) will be reduced. As Wi-Fi users continue to rise and the requirements from users demand more spectrum to service new applications such as augmented and virtual reality, there is an urgent need to open the 6 GHz band for unlicensed access.
Why the full 1200 MHz, and why now?
According to research conducted in partnership between the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, Apple, Broadcom, CISCO, Facebook, Google, HPE, Intel, Microsoft and Qualcomm, opening the full 1200 MHz in the 6 GHz band to license-exempt Radio Local Area Network (RLAN) technologies is the best public policy choice for regulators globally.
As technology advances, innovative applications and emerging use cases will need the whole 1200 MHz to function. 6 GHz Wi-Fi technology is ready now, and with complete standards, open interoperability certification and equipment moving into the market, benefits of increased spectrum are already available.
Wi-Fi is also fuelling economic growth and societal development, and as such should be used in the most efficient way to benefit citizens and the economy. Wi-Fi contributes to GDP growth by providing low-cost, high-speed broadband access, and enables the delivery of digital services that benefit consumers.
In fact, studies show that opening the 6 GHz spectrum band for license exempt use could add billions to global economies. Brazil has already decided to implement 6GHz access which means that it could benefit from an additional $163.5 billion (€140.38 billion) to Brazil’s economy. If other countries follow suit, Mexico would benefit from an economic contribution of US$ 71.96 billion (€61.78 billion) in GDP to the Mexico economy, and US$39.69 billion (€34.08 billion) in the case of Colombia.
6 GHz implementation across continents
Regulators globally have reached a remarkable and swift consensus with 6 GHz regulatory decisions covering nearly 54% of the global GDP, and nearly 42% of GDP having opened or have proposed opening the full 6 GHz band or parts of it to license-exempt use. Since the United States became the first to open the entire 1200 MHz for license exempt use in April 2020, countries such as Brazil, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Canada have also opened the full band for unlicensed access.
Peru, Costa Rica, Chile, Honduras, and Guatemala have all finalised changes to their Table of Allocations or to footnotes opening the full band as license exempt, and Consultations or proceedings are now pending to open the full band in Mexico, Colombia, Qatar, Jordan, Malaysia, and Oman. While the European Commission has opened the lower 500 MHz for unlicensed access, it should continue enabling innovation and accelerating digital transformation by opening the entire band.
The future of global Wi-Fi
As countries continue to see an increase in connectivity demand, sufficient spectrum must be made available to avoid congestion. ASSIA’s State of Wi-Fi Report shows that congestion in the 5 GHz band in North America is growing much faster than traffic, and congestion issues are already being experienced. In Europe, it is predicted that congestion issues will begin in the coming 6 months. In the busiest hour, the problem becomes even more acute, with users reaching the limits of Wi-Fi at 5 GHz.
With a combination of increased demand for internet access following COVID-19 and the rising requirements to enable new applications and use cases across industry sectors, there is global momentum for making the entire 6GHz band available for unlicensed use. As a result, citizens will be able to experience huge socio-economic growth through efficient spectrum allocation, and take full advantage of the latest, most advanced license-exempt technology available.
The author is Martha Suarez, president of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance.
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