The German Federal Network Agency, Bundesnetzagentur, said it plans to allocate the 6 GHz band for WLAN in Q2 2021. This follows approval by a key EU technical committee for expanded use of the band already adopted in the US and other countries. The extra 480 MHz spectrum is expected to provide more capacity for Wi-Fi applications, support innovative use cases and enable new services for consumers and industry.
The regulator took the decision to allocate a new set of frequencies based on the decision of the Committee for Electronic Communication (ECC), part of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT). The ECC has approved the introduction of WLAN services in the 6 GHz frequency range, laying the technical basis for a common EU market for the standard.
At the same time, the ECC published a CEPT report that recommends the European Commission regulate the technical conditions for the use of the new frequencies so it is binding for all the member states.
German router maker Lancom Systems welcomed the decision by the ECC. It said the European Commission should adopt the ECC's proposal as early as March 2021, and about two months later, the legal details should take effect upon publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. From that point, EU member states have six months to transfer the directive into national law.
The European standards authority has already presented a preliminary standard for Wi-Fi 6E, and manufacturers can have their products approved by test centres commissioned by the EU in order to bring them to market. The final standard is likely to be published in early 2022.
