6 GHz spectrum allocation in Brazil faces economic debate

The 6 GHz radio frequency band is being positioned as a critical resource for expanding telecommunications capacity and connectivity in Brazil. As data consumption grows through high-definition video, cloud services, and video calls, the availability of this spectrum is essential to support increasing network demands and the evolution of mobile technologies.

A study by the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) submitted to Anatel suggests that allocating the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed use could generate a positive economic impact of US$ 689.18 billion for Brazil over ten years. This contrasts with the current proposal to divide the band with mobile services, which is estimated to yield US$ 447.15 billion.

The DSA argues that full unlicensed access is vital for advanced wireless technologies like Wi-Fi 7 and future Wi-Fi 8, which require high data rates and low latency. If the division remains, the DSA and Abrint propose opportunistic use, allowing Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 equipment to utilize the mobile-designated portion when not occupied by carrier signals, managed by an Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) system.