FCC Report & Order Wi-Fi @ 6GHz

FCC Report & Order Wi-Fi @ 6GHz

Posted On: May 26, 2020
Posted By: Russell Vest

Summary and High Points of Docket No. 18-295

This R&O is based on a previously released Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice) which solicited responses from the industry to allow unlicensed use of the 6GHz band (5.925-7.125GHz). The FCC has considered the responses and will be releasing currently allocated spectrum (incumbent) to use by certain unlicensed devices and applications. These unlicensed devices and applications will be required to operate within a rules and coordination construct to protect the incumbent from interference.

Result 1,200MHz of additional spectrum is now for Wi-Fi use adding to the current 2.4 and 5GHz bands.

Rule Change Highlights:

Allow the unlicensed “Wi-Fi” like operation of devices for indoor use in all 1,200 MHz of the 6GHz band
- Low-power devices (access point or AP) only (+24dBm, or ¼ Watt) to share with and protect the incumbent services
- No automatic frequency coordination (AFC) required
- Each AP utilizes the 1,200MHz band on a contention basis (like Wi-Fi, listen before transmit)
- No professional installation requirements
Allow the unlicensed “Wi-Fi” like operation of devices for indoor and outdoor use under AFC control in 850MHz of the band (5.925-6.425 & 6.525-6.875GHz).
- Standard power APs only (+30dBm or 1 Watt)*
- Under AFC control for channel and power allowances
- No professional installation requirements (AP geolocation required)
Client devices can operate in the full 1,200 MHz of the 6GHz band under the control of their indoor or outdoor access point (maximum 6dB less than AP (1/4 of AP power)).

Impact:

Expands the application of the popular Wi-Fi standard bandwidths by almost 5-times
New Wi-Fi 6e indoor devices will be able to provide increased data rates to meet short-range consumer and enterprise demand
New Wi-Fi 6e outdoor devices to provide broadband data to nomadic and fixed clients
23 April 2020 official action at the April FCC meeting targeting a 31 Dec 2020 active date
Generally available Wi-Fi 6e devices thought to be 2022.

* Similar to current Wi-Fi power levels.

Russell Vest, CTO

Russell has 30+ years of driving fundamental changes in the telecommunications industry covering the range from network design and deployment, development of the leading third-party operator to establishing industry best practices and standards. Based on this foundation of change he is committed to delivering connectivity solutions for the enterprise by leveraging advanced technologies toward greater user-control that integrates seamlessly into global networks. He is an active member of HTNG chairing the CBRS Workgroup extending Private LTE knowledge to the hospitality industry. Russell holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist University and is a member of the IEEE Communications Society.

Jon Morris, CEO

Jon has 20 plus years’ experience in the telecommunications industry, primarily working at the intersection of real estate and technology. He was a founder of the Antenna Solutions Group at AT&T in 2011. Since then, he has developed Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), small cell, and related business models and contracts. While he has seen enormous change over the past few years, he believes the promise of Private LTE and how that supports the ecosystems of IoT, edge computing, M2M learning, and connectivity generally. Jon has undergraduate degrees in Economics and Art History from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MBA from the University of Washington.

Paul Kooiker, COO

Paul has 10 years of experience in the telecommunications industry working in a variety of development and operational roles in real estate, legal and technology. He also worked on the Antenna Solutions Group team from its early days. He has a strong belief in the way new technologies can reshape and improve the world and that a focus on both innovation and operational discipline is what is required to move great ideas forward. He is an active member of the start-up community and looks to support the wave of new ideas in Seattle. Paul has undergraduate degrees in Construction Management and Building Construction Technologies and an MBA from the University of Southern California.