For Immediate Release 

October 14, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

In case you missed it – Industry analyst Dean Bubley, founder of Disruptive Analysis, recently published an article in RCR Wireless News examining new evidence that 6 GHz Wi-Fi adoption in the United States is accelerating. Drawing on recent data from Ookla and Cisco, Bubley argues that the market is moving beyond early adoption and into a broader phase of deployment and use across consumer, enterprise and public-venue networks.

According to Ookla’s “Global State of Wi-Fi 2026” analysis, use of the 6 GHz band among U.S. Android smartphone Speedtest users rose more than 600 percent – from 2 percent in the first quarter of 2024 to 14 percent in the first quarter of 2026. Bubley notes that growth has occurred despite a relatively modest pace of 6 GHz upgrades to home gateways and routers by some major internet service providers.

“The six-fold growth over a two-year period is exactly what a rapid diffusion curve looks like at the ‘inflection point’ stage in any adoption of new technologies or new spectrum bands,” Bubley writes. He adds that adoption will continue to build as residential routers, smartphones, laptops, and enterprise access points increasingly align in their 6GHz capabilities.

Bubley also highlights Cisco’s case study of the 2026 BottleRock Napa Valley music festival, where 48 percent of connections used 6 GHz – up from 11 percent at the previous year’s event. The deployment used Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) to enable standard-power 6 GHz Wi-Fi outdoors, demonstrating the band’s ability to deliver high-capacity connectivity in demanding environments. 

As policymakers consider the future of the band, Bubley argues that continued access to 6 GHz – and measures that reduce technical constraints – will be critical to supporting growing demand for video, interactive and AI-enabled applications.

Read an excerpt from the article below.

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6GHz Wi-Fi Update – Steady Adoption And An Inflection Point (Analyst Angle)

RCR Wireless News

October 6, 2026

Five years ago, not a single consumer Wi-Fi device anywhere in the US was able to use the just-opened 6GHz spectrum band. Ever since, US 6GHz Wi-Fi policy has mostly been argued in the future tense. Will the market actually use the band? Will Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7/8 devices arrive quickly enough? Would enterprises and service providers deploy 6GHz radios at scale, or would the band remain a regulatory highlight but with limited real-world utilization?

Two recent data points, from Ookla and Cisco, give a clear answer: the US and North American market is now moving from early adoption into a fast diffusion and uptake phase. Furthermore, the addition of extra features – and especially extra power – allows 6GHz usage to flourish and contribute to user experience and economic value to businesses.

Firstly, according to Ookla’s “Global State of Wi-Fi 2026” analysis from Android smartphones, US usage of the 6GHz band rose more than 600% from just 2% of Speedtest users in Q1 2024 to 14% in Q1 2026. This is a good nationwide snapshot, primarily relating to Wi-Fi adoption and use within home broadband and some public venue locations.

This explosive rise in adoption needs to be seen against a backdrop of a relatively modest pace of upgrades of home gateways and routers by certain major ISPs – often the limiting factor has been the access points, not the devices.

Check out the full article here.