London, UK, February 23, 2024 — Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has today been approved as an Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) Operator by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an important milestone following four years of development, successful lab testing and public trials with all US stakeholders. AFC is a critical technology for the management of the 6Ghz spectrum and ensuring the best user experience. AFC allows the use of standard power by devices such as Wi-Fi 6E and 7 Access Points (AP), while safeguarding incumbent operations already using the spectrum such as point-to-point mobile operator links and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) deployments.
AFC will automatically allocate the channel and power strength a device can use in real-time based on requests made through AFC Operators to a centralized spectrum database. The database will be aware of the available channels, other nearby operators, and ensure compliance with rules set by regulators in a country, ensuring independent allocation of spectrum use.
Tiago Rodrigues, CEO and President of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), said: “We are delighted our work on AFC has resulted in our approval as an AFC Operator, and the collaboration on OpenAFC has been instrumental in the development of our AFC platform. The WBA has been working with its members for over four years to see its vision for combining Wi-Fi 6E, 7 and 6Ghz AFC become a reality, as AFC is a critical component for the use of standard power on 6Ghz. The WBA will continue to champion the deployment of these standards globally, and we encourage all telecoms operators and Wi-Fi vendors to get involved in deploying AFC to maximize the benefits of using new spectrum on the 6Ghz band.”
Click here to read the FCC filing.
About the Wireless Broadband Alliance
Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is the global organization that connects people with the latest Wi-Fi initiatives. Founded in 2003, the vision of the WBA is to drive seamless, interoperable service experiences via Wi-Fi within the global wireless ecosystem. WBA’s mission is to enable collaboration between service providers, technology companies, cities, regulators and organizations to achieve that vision.
WBA undertakes programs and activities to address business and technical challenges, while exploring opportunities for its member companies. These initiatives encompass standards development, industry guidelines, trials, certification, and advocacy. Its key programs include NextGen Wi-Fi, OpenRoaming, 5G, IoT, Smart Cities, Testing & Interoperability and Policy & Regulatory Affairs, with Member-led Work Groups dedicated to resolving standards and technical issues to promote end-to-end services and accelerate business opportunities.
Membership in the WBA includes major operators, service providers, enterprises, hardware and software vendors, and other prominent companies that support the ecosystems from around the world. The WBA Board comprises influential organizations such as Airties, AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Boldyn Networks Broadcom, BT, Cisco Systems, Comcast, HFCL, Intel, Reliance Jio, Telecom Deutschland, Turk Telekom and Viasat.
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