Brazil releases full 6 GHz spectrum band for WiFi

Competition for bandwidth remains intense

Anatel, the Brazilian telecommunications regulator, has decided in favour of setting aside the entire 6 GHz spectrum band for unlicensed use.

This, in effect, hands 1.2 GHz of extra bandwidth to WiFi users.

The move is the latest step in a competition over who can use the valuable 6 GHz band.

Brazil is one of the first countries after the US to release the full band and the move is likely to be followed by regulators elsewhere.

Brazil’s decision follows a wider debate over the 6 GHz spectrum band for WiFi, which many regulators are considering for unlicensed use.

Mobile carriers and network equipment makers want the 6 GHz bandwidth so they can expand the capacity of 5G services.

They also suggest selling the spectrum could give cash-strapped governments a financial windfall. While there have been significant financial gains for governments from earlier spectrum sales, that caused other problems as carriers bidding high for available spectrum depleted themselves of the funds required to build or upgrade networks in order to make use of that spectrum,

Home wireless networking

Tech giants like Apple, Microsoft and Google say the bandwidth could be put to better increasing the throughput of home and office wireless networking.

They say that part of the band is not suitable for mobile networks. In part that's because radio waves at these frequencies have short wavelengths which means they can only travel short distances and are easily blocked by walls, floors and other physical obstructions.

Home and office networks are often the weakest link in the chain between end-user devices and the wider internet. Technologies like WiFi 6 can help improve performance, but opening up more spectrum for local wireless networks would have the greatest impact on overall online experience.

A new WiFi 6E standard promises faster speeds, lower latencies and the ability to connect more devices at the same time. It also means less interference, that's vital for people who live in densely populated areas. Realistically you can expect gigabit speeds, enough to let home or office users make the most of fast fibre connections but for that you need the additional spectrum,

Regulators in Canada have suggested that nation hands over 1.2GHz to Wi-Fi users. Last year the US Federal Communications Commission voted to open the band. At the time of writing, the European Union is preparing to release 500MHz of spectrum in the 6GHZ band.

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