Wireless internet service providers eye 6 GHz band for fixed wireless access

Richard Bernhardt, of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), said he’s pleased with the Federal Communication Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) recent, conditional approval of 13 proposed automated frequency coordination (AFC) database systems to develop operations for the 6 GHz band. Once approved, the automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems will allow for much higher power and outdoor use of the 6 GHz band, meaning wireless internet service providers (WISPs) can use it as part of their fixed wireless access (FWA) offerings. It’s a big move because currently, they’re relegated to the crowded 2.4 and/or 5 GHz bands. WISPs also happen to be incumbents in the band that the AFC systems are designed to protect. Incumbents include users of fixed point-to-point links; hundreds of WISPs operate using point-to-point licenses. Fixed point-to-point microwave links also are used by utilities, railroads, and operators like AT&T that rely on them primarily for backhaul. By way of comparison, the entire Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band, including Priority Access Licenses (PALs) and General Authorized Access (GAA), is 150 megahertz. The 6 GHz band is 1200 megahertz, of which 850 megahertz can be used in standard power or standard power outdoor. The full 1200 can be used for low-power indoor and 850 of it can be used in standard power, which is very similar to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, he said.