For Immediate Release
October 8, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
In case you missed it – Industry analyst Dean Bubley recently published an op-ed urging U.S. cellular companies to accept the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 2020 decision to allocate the 6 GHz spectrum band for unlicensed Wi-Fi use. Bubley argues that continued efforts to reverse this decision are counterproductive, especially given the rapid growth in Wi-Fi adoption.
The 6 GHz band has significantly improved Wi-Fi performance and reliability, allowing faster speeds and better coverage in large buildings. Since 2020, the FCC has continued to refine how the band can be used, approving new device types and expanding availability.
Bubley highlights that the 6 GHz decision is now embedded in U.S. foreign policy and trade commitments, with implications for next year’s World Radio Congress (WRC-27). The FCC, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and current administration officials have repeatedly affirmed support for unlicensed 6 GHz and are building a coalition of nations supporting Wi-Fi in the band globally.
“Reversing or diluting the 6GHz band’s status now would strand equipment, disrupt users and undermine confidence in American spectrum policy, possibly harming valuations by adding an uncertainty risk premium for investors,” wrote Bubley. “More importantly, there is no serious sign that the current FCC wants or needs to do so. There is also a backfire risk for the cellular carriers, whose customers rely on Wi-Fi – including 6GHz frequencies – as well as their mobile connections.”
Bubley concludes that the U.S. wireless industry should focus on advancing American technological leadership across Wi-Fi, AI-driven networks, private 5G, satellite communications, and other emerging areas rather than continuing to challenge a decision that is now woven into both U.S. regulatory policy and international trade agreements.
Read an excerpt from the article below.
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US Unlicensed 6GHz Isn’t Changing: The Mobile Industry Needs To Move On
Light Reading
September 15, 2026
The US cellular industry needs to get over 6GHz, cease trying to relitigate the band and instead try to promote broader aspects of US wireless leadership. It should help form consensus for US positions on future spectrum allocations ahead of next year’s World Radio Congress, WRC-27, rather than trying to fight the last battle again and again.
The entire 1200MHz between 5.925-7.125GHz is already allocated for unlicensed uses such as Wi-Fi 7, which is showing rapid growth in usage and value, according to recent figures from analysts such as IDC and Dell’Oro, and data providers such as Ookla.
Advances in robotics, AI and automation, augmented reality, entertainment and many other areas of enterprise and consumer technology all rely on Wi-Fi networks’ performance and reliability, which is being further enhanced in emerging Wi-Fi 8 development and a long future roadmap.
Despite spurious reports and comments attempting to portray the FCC’s original decision as somehow provisional, unlicensed use was not an interim holding position, just waiting for operators and their industry groups to find a better lobbying approach such as 6G. It was a well-considered and audacious move to improve the utility of Wi-Fi, a technology in which US vendors have leading global positions. Telco challenges were rejected by the courts. Subsequently, numerous other countries have taken similar paths to the US.
Check out the full article here.