The 6 GHz IMT Ecosystem

The fast-developing 6 GHz IMT ecosystem is poised to play an important role in supporting 5G rollouts worldwide, according to the GSMA 2022 6 GHz IMT Ecosystem report. The report discusses the development progress of 6 GHz IMT systems and the central role that 6 GHz will play in delivering successful 5G rollouts. It warns that allocating the full 6 GHz band to unlicensed use risks countries losing out on the full benefits of scarce spectrum resources and damaging their ability to maximize the societal impact of governments’ and operators’ investments in 5G networks. However, while 6 GHz ecosystem developers stand by to meet consumer demand, regulatory decisions at 2023’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), and subsequently by national regulators, will play a major role in its future success. GSMA analysis indicates that regulators should aim to assign between 700 and 1200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band to licensed 5G use in order to maximize the benefits to society of scarce spectrum resources, and support operators in delivering the full capabilities of 5G network rollouts.