Brazilian regulator Anatel enabled broadband providers to tap into the 6GHz spectrum band unlicensed for the next decade via higher-powered devices, a move that will enhance WiFi broadband coverage, and deliver US$163.5 billion to the Brazilian economy, according to industry bodies Abrint and the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA).
In a statement from the DSA, Abrint said ISPs now have outdoor access to the 6GHz band through higher-powered devices thus enhancing coverage throughout Brazil.
Equipment vendors Broadcom and Cisco will provide automated frequency coordination (AFC) technology to ISPs in Brazil to tap into the band.
DSA president Martha Suarez said: “License-exempt use of the entire 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi will be critical to address current pressing bandwidth demands for end users, applications and industries.
“To do so efficiently, the different use case operations from
5,925 to 7,125MHz will allow growing ultra-fast WiFi demands to be met, new applications such as augmented and virtual reality and new innovations that require high-quality, real-time connectivity.
"Used for every aspect of our lives such as remote education, work and commerce, WiFi needs greater spectrum access in the 6GHz band to effectively support the modern digital ecosystem.”
Anatel allowed unlicensed access to the 5,925MHz – 7,125MHz band for low-power indoor and portable devices in 2021. This apparently supported 20,000 ISPs to provide more reliable WiFi using the 6GHz band. The move enhanced WiFi in 25 million fixed access points via fibre-to-the-home connections.
Allowing service providers to tap into the 6GHz band has been allowed by various regulators in western nations. The US Federal Communications Commission opened up the airwaves in 2020. Mexico recently only partially opened the 6GHz band to ISPs which prompted disappointment from providers.
