Setting the stage for standard-power use of the unlicensed 6 GHz band, the Federal Communications Fee has formally accepted seven candidates for automated frequency coordination (AFC) programs.
Programs from Qualcomm, Broadcom, Comsearch, Federated Wi-fi, Sony, Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wi-fi Broadband Alliance had been all accepted and may now transfer ahead with managing spectrum entry by Wi-Fi gadgets within the band.
“Automated Frequency Coordination system operational approvals mark a significant milestone for widespread deployment of unlicensed operations within the 6 GHz spectrum band and for the unlicensed ecosystem total,” mentioned FCC Chief Engineer Ron Repasi. “6 GHz normal energy and stuck shopper machine deployments below AFC management will increase entry to new know-how, purposes and companies. That is an thrilling time for the business, and for American shoppers and enterprise.”
When the FCC opened the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, the FCC stipulated two varieties of operations: Low-power indoor operations and normal energy operations. To be able to keep away from interference with incumbent mounted microwave programs and radio astronomy at a restricted variety of observatories, normal energy entry factors and stuck shopper gadgets should function below the management of AFC programs in two parts of the band: The U-NII-5 band at 5.925-6.425 GHz and the U-NII-7 band at 6.525-6.875 GHz.
The FCC initially acquired 14 purposes for AFC programs and had conditionally accepted 13 of these; the 14th software, from Amdocs, with withdrawn. Now seven of them have acquired full approval.
The brand new AFC programs had been accepted after each lab testing and public trials with on-line AFC portals that had been meant to give the chance to check the AFC system performance. Customers might specify check places anyplace inside america and get a listing of the frequency ranges on which a standard-power machine at that location might transmit, and the corresponding max energy degree. Customers might then use that info to submit challenges to the AFC system.
Every of the general public portals acquired greater than 500 check places, with the “overwhelming majority” not leading to challenges, in line with the FCC. AT&T and the Electrical Energy Analysis Institute took a very energetic function within the problem course of, submitting challenges to all seven candidates.
The Fee famous in its public discover on the AFC approval that AT&T mentioned that it “spent a big period of time working with the AFC candidates to establish the exact causes of the variations between the outcomes calculated by the AFC programs and the outcomes calculated by AT&T.” Generally that meant adjustments to AT&T’s calculations, and typically it resulted in modifications to the AFC programs. “AT&T noticed that this course of illustrated that affordable engineers can differ with respect to how propagation calculations are carried out,” the FCC identified, and added that the modifications “modifications seem like easy, akin to not allowing normal energy gadgets to function in off-shore places or outdoors the boundaries of america or adjusting the methodology used to find out the peak to make use of in calculations involving passive microwave reflectors.”
The FCC additionally famous that the seven accepted AFC candidates had expressed a dedication to determine a centralized method to obtain and deal with dangerous interference complaints ensuing from AFC-authorized operations, and the company conditioned their continued AFC operations on such a course of being carried out by April 23, 2024.
“The FCC’s approval of AFC operations for traditional energy 6 GHz Wi-Fi is a large win for shoppers, enterprises and repair suppliers, alike. With expanded protection and 63 instances extra energy, normal energy Wi-Fi will optimize our wi-fi expertise indoors and outside, in crowded environments like stadiums,” mentioned Chris Szymanski, director of product advertising and marketing for Broadcom’s Wi-fi Communications and Connectivity Division. He added, “As a founding member and co-chair of Open AFC, I’m notably gratified that Broadcom, Wi-Fi Alliance Companies Firm and Wi-fi Broadband Alliance have been approved as AFC operators. We’re optimistic Broadcom’s visionary work on Open AFC will ship on the promise of 6 GHz Wi-Fi, ushering in a revolution of subsequent technology connectivity.”
“We’re delighted our work on AFC has resulted in our approval as an AFC Operator, and the collaboration on OpenAFC has been instrumental within the growth of our AFC platform,” mentioned Tiago Rodrigues, CEO and president of the WBA. “The WBA has been working with its members for over 4 years to see its imaginative and prescient for combining Wi-Fi 6E, 7 and 6 GHz AFC turn out to be a actuality, as AFC is a crucial element for the usage of normal energy on 6 GHz. The WBA will proceed to champion the deployment of those requirements globally, and we encourage all telecoms operators and Wi-Fi distributors to get entangled in deploying AFC to maximise the advantages of utilizing new spectrum on the 6 GHz band.”