A coalition of Europe’s main telecom operators has issued a compelling enchantment to EU policymakers, warning that the continent’s digital competitiveness hinges on pressing entry to the complete higher 6 GHz band for cellular use.
With the worldwide race to deploy 6G networks accelerating, the choice over the right way to allocate this significant slice of the spectrum will decide whether or not Europe stays a frontrunner or turns into a laggard in next-generation connectivity.
Twelve main community suppliers – spanning Vodafone, BT, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, and others – have referred to as for the whole allocation of the 6.425–7.125 GHz frequency vary to cellular networks.
The operators argue that that is the one spectrum block instantly appropriate for delivering high-capacity, high-speed 6G providers throughout the continent.
They warning that with out decisive motion, Europe dangers bottlenecking its digital infrastructure, undermining future financial development, and dropping management over its technological sovereignty.
The letter emphasises the long-term consequences of spectrum decisions made today, notably as cellular visitors volumes soar and current spectrum allocations close to their limits.
As Europe prepares for the subsequent wave of digital transformation, the 6 GHz band has emerged as a make-or-break alternative.
6 GHz band: The bedrock of Europe’s 6G future
The higher 6 GHz band is extensively thought to be a significant enabler of 6G networks, providing the bandwidth wanted for data-intensive functions akin to augmented actuality, sensible trade, autonomous mobility, and digital well being.
These use circumstances demand giant, contiguous blocks of mid-band spectrum able to supporting each dense city deployments and wide-area protection.
Telecom consultants imagine that 6G would require a minimum of 600 MHz of spectrum to operate effectively. The higher 6 GHz band is the one at present viable frequency vary that meets this requirement in time for business rollout, anticipated by the tip of the last decade.
Allocating something much less, they argue, would make preliminary 6G implementations in Europe technically and economically unfeasible.
A narrowing window of alternative
The urgency behind the decision stems from the quickly rising demand for cellular capability, particularly in Europe’s cities.
Telecom operators mission that city networks might attain saturation by 2030, pushed by ever-increasing knowledge utilization from shoppers and companies alike. If spectrum sources are usually not expanded quickly, current frequencies shall be consumed by 5G providers alone, leaving no room to launch 6G.
Coverage our bodies just like the Radio Spectrum Coverage Group (RSPG) have thought-about various choices, together with new spectrum identification on the 2027 World Radiocommunication Convention (WRC-27).
Nevertheless, strategic restrictions already in place make this path unlikely to ship well timed outcomes. This leaves the higher 6 GHz band as Europe’s solely practical path to launching 6G inside the subsequent 5 years.
Spectrum conflict with Wi-Fi advocates
The battle over the 6 GHz band shouldn’t be merely technical – it is usually political. US expertise firms have lobbied to open extra of the band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use.
Nevertheless, European telecom leaders notice that almost 500 MHz within the decrease 6 GHz band has already been designated for Wi-Fi in Europe and stays underutilised. They argue that increasing Wi-Fi into the higher band is each pointless and dangerous to Europe’s long-term strategic pursuits.
Furthermore, since telecom operators are additionally the principal suppliers of Wi-Fi providers throughout the continent, they dismiss claims of a looming Wi-Fi spectrum scarcity as unfounded.
Europe’s digital management at stake
The telecom trade’s name to motion aligns with broader considerations about Europe’s declining affect in world tech requirements and infrastructure.
With out entry to the higher 6 GHz band, Europe would change into depending on applied sciences and requirements set elsewhere, eroding its means to form the digital future by itself phrases.
Backed by chief expertise officers from twelve of Europe’s most distinguished telecom teams, the message to EU decision-makers is agency: act now to allocate the higher 6 GHz band for cellular use, or danger lacking the 6G revolution.
The window for management is closing quick, and the implications of delay might outline Europe’s digital trajectory for many years to come back.
