6 GHz Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC)

Enabling unlicensed access to the 6 GHz band by coordinating shared spectrum between Standard Power Access Points (SP) and incumbent Point-to-Point microwave.

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THE 6 GHZ BAND: ENABLING NEW USE CASES

The 6 GHz band has been traditionally licensed for reliable Point-to-Point microwave communications. In 2020, in response to the ever-increasing demand for high-speed, reliable internet access, the FCC decided to enable unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band, significantly increasing the available spectrum for Wi-Fi and other applications.

Because the band is heavily used by incumbent Point-to-Point microwave licensees, only a Low Power operating mode for Indoor-only (LPI) use was authorized without any specific interference analysis requirements.

To make the spectrum available for a wider variety of use cases, the FCC also specified a Standard Power (SP) mode that can be used for indoor and outdoor applications, as long as the system is under the control of an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system.

The Comsearch AFC system was developed based on our many years of experience in microwave frequency coordination and our comprehensive technical database of incumbent systems. Our proprietary interference analysis and frequency coordination engine enables co-existence between SP unlicensed users and incumbent Point to Point microwave users in the 6 GHz band.

Unlicensed 6 GHz Use Cases

Through the AFC, unlicensed users gain access to an unprecedented 850 MHz of spectrum, enabling new types of use cases and systems with faster speeds, lower latencies and greater capacities:

  • Wi-Fi including Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi offload, Multi-gigabit Wi-Fi venue capacity, Muni Wi-Fi
  • Whole-home gigabit coverage
  • Carrier aggregation that can be quickly deployed
  • Fixed Wireless Access
  • MDU Applications
  • Factory and Warehouse IoT