Summary of the Key Points in Plain Language
The technical standards for 6G have not yet been fully established, but countries around the world are already vying for a segment of the "invisible wireless signal lanes"—a continuous spectrum of 700MHz near 6GHz, commonly referred to as the "golden mid-frequency band." This resource is particularly strategic as it is essential for both Wi-Fi7 to operate at its maximum speed and for the future deployment of 6G networks at low cost nationwide. The combined bandwidth required by Wi-Fi7 and 6G amounts to 720MHz, which is far more than can be used simultaneously, necessitating a decision on who will have priority and who will have to make concessions.
The approaches chosen by different countries vary significantly: the United States has decided to fully allocate this spectrum for Wi-Fi use, while countries like China and Brazil have reserved it for future mobile communication infrastructure. The United Kingdom has adopted a compromise model of partial sharing. Although it may seem like a simple allocation of radio waves, this decision actually determines where billions of dollars in digital infrastructure investment will go and into whose industries the benefits will flow, ultimately shaping the global communication rules of the next decade.
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Detailed Analysis
1. What exactly is this "golden spectrum," and why is it so sought after?
You can think of the frequencies of all wireless signals as different types of roads:
- Low-frequency roads have fewer lanes but are very wide, allowing for high speeds over long distances and strong penetration through walls. A single base station can cover a large area, but it's difficult to create wide, continuous lanes, limiting the potential for high speeds.
- High-frequency roads can have very wide lanes, theoretically enabling speeds of over 100G, but the signal weakens after just a few hundred meters, and the cost of setting up base stations is extremely high due to the need for frequent installations.
The 700MHz band near 6GHz strikes the perfect balance between the two. It allows for wide, continuous lanes that enable Wi-Fi7 to operate at 320MHz, doubling the speed, without the poor coverage associated with millimeter-wave frequencies. With current antenna technology, existing 5G base stations can be used to deploy 6G networks across cities without the need for additional base stations. Such a cost-effective "eight-lane highway" is unique in the industry, and it must be secured as soon as possible. Otherwise, changing its use later would be extremely costly.
2. Should routers or base stations be given priority? The difference isn't about speed; it's about who pays for the infrastructure
Many think that prioritizing Wi-Fi will result in faster internet at home, and prioritizing base stations will result in faster mobile speeds when out and about. However, the impact is entirely different:
- Prioritizing Wi-Fi means shifting the responsibility for infrastructure to individuals and businesses. They would have to purchase routers and install wireless access points, with the money flowing to manufacturers of Wi-Fi chips, consumer electronics, and cloud services. New phones would immediately offer faster Wi-Fi without waiting for operators to build the network nationwide.
- Prioritizing base stations means that operators would fund the construction of a nationwide network, with the money going towards base stations, antennas, towers, fiber optic infrastructure, and other components. This would create a unified network that everyone can use, rather than fragmented networks at individual homes.
There is no absolute advantage in either approach, but the industries that benefit differ significantly.
3. The three global approaches reflect each country's own strategic considerations
The choices made by different countries are based on their unique strengths:
- The United States has chosen to prioritize Wi-Fi, leveraging its consumer electronics and internet giants (Apple, Google, Amazon, Broadcom) to quickly adopt the new technology. The downside is that it may make it difficult to reallocate this spectrum for 6G in the future.
- The United Kingdom has adopted a compromise model, trying not to offend either European operators or American tech companies. However, this approach comes with high maintenance costs and potential conflicts over who should use the infrastructure.
- Brazil has switched from prioritizing Wi-Fi to prioritizing mobile communications, realizing that it would be dependent on American Wi-Fi equipment if it waited to deploy its own 6G network.
4. China's commitment to prioritizing mobile communications is not just about faster video streaming
China's decision to prioritize mobile communications is not about improving video streaming on phones. It has a strong foundation in 5G infrastructure, and the new 6GHz spectrum can be used to enhance existing networks with minimal investment. More importantly, the next-generation network will be used for various applications, such as real-time data transmission from industrial robots, uninterrupted connectivity for autonomous vehicles, and continuous communication for drones and smart cars. Wi-Fi is insufficient for these use cases. By securing this spectrum, China aims to build a unified, low-latency, and reliable nationwide network, gaining control over the global digital industry standards.