In an open letter to European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen, dated Wednesday 21 May, 58 service providers and associations, grouped together in the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, call for making “the upper 6 GHz band (...) available for unrestrained Wi-Fi operations”, stressing that the expansion of this technology is essential to meet the growing demand for broadband connectivity and to “fulfil Europe’s promise of competitiveness”.
This request, motivated by the need to “maintain high-quality Wi-Fi connectivity” - the central Internet access device for the majority of essential infrastructures and services (hospitals, universities, factories, ministries, etc.) - is part of the current debate on the overhaul of European telecommunications (see EUROPE 13617/13), the Digital Networks Act (DNA), launched last year by the European Commission (see EUROPE 13355/8).
According to the signatories, “Europe is already behind (...). This decision will allow Europe to finally roll out the (already existing) newest generations of Wi-Fi, 6E and 7, and the upcoming Wi-Fi 8. Spectrum decisions directly impact the ambitions that the EU wants to achieve with the Digital Networks Act”, they write.
Earlier this month, twelve major European telecoms operators, including Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and Orange, called for the entire band to be reserved “exclusively” for 5G mobile networks and future 6G.
“Otherwise, Europe risks falling behind in 6G deployment, thereby jeopardising its digital competitiveness”, they warned.
See the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/gy8 (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)