The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is gearing up for a battle between wi-fi businesses and carriers over the future of a key chunk of radio spectrum.
ACMA today kicked off its next five-year planning project, publishing a draft five-year spectrum outlook, which will, among other things, determine the use of the upper 6GHz frequency band.
That band is popular with wi-fi vendors because it supports 160MHz wide radio channels that let wi-fi 6 gear offer more than 9Gbps bitrates; meanwhile, 5G operators also have plans for the band.
In working out how to accommodate those applications, as well as incumbent users such as electricity networks, the ACMA said: “We expect our consultation on potential expanded use of the band to generate robust discussion.”
The ACMA opened the lower 6GHz band for wi-fi in 2022.
Two other bands the ACMA highlighted are the 1.9GHz band, and the 3.4 – 4.0GHz band.
The 1.9GHz band plan is now being implemented, based on co-existing applications including railway communications and wireless microphones.
The 3.4 – 4.0GHz band is being opened for area-wide licenses (AWLs) shortly, under a program that is allocating the range in four phases: the whole band will support AWLs in remote areas; the 3.4GHz and 3.7GHz bands will be auctioned for metro and regional areas; 3.8GHz is allocated for AWLs in metro, regional and rural areas; and finally the band will also support “highly localised” wireless broadband services.
The burgeoning mobile satellite service (MSS) market is also getting attention, with the ACMA saying it will focus on allocating licenses in the 1980–2005MHz and 2170–2195MHz bands.