Brussels: Twelve of Europe’s largest telecom operators have issued a joint call for immediate action, urging regulators to allocate more spectrum for mobile services or risk falling behind the United States in the global race for 6G deployment.
In a letter viewed by Reuters, major operators including Vodafone (UK), Deutsche Telekom (Germany), Orange (France), and TIM (Italy) pressed European authorities to designate the entire upper 6GHz band for mobile use. The coalition emphasized that this band is one of the last remaining large mid-band spectrum segments essential for next-generation mobile networks.
The operators warned that without swift regulatory decisions, the continent could lose its competitive edge. “If the decision to make the upper 6GHz band available to European mobile operators is delayed, while U.S. technology interests are permitted to secure further 6GHz capacity, Europe’s competitiveness would be threatened,” they said in the letter.
The upper 6GHz band is seen as critical to enabling networks to manage heavy data traffic while maintaining wide coverage. Most EU countries have already auctioned mid-band spectrum in the 3.4-3.8 GHz range for 5G, leaving the upper 6GHz as a strategic reserve for 6G innovation.
While the U.S. repurposed the band for Wi-Fi in 2020 and China allocated it for 5G and 6G services in 2023, Europe has not yet made a definitive move. The telecom giants expressed concern that competing interests in the U.S. continue to push for Wi-Fi access in the same frequency range. “We remain concerned that access to upper 6GHz band is still sought for Wi-Fi by U.S. stakeholders,” they added.
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The European Union’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group is expected to release a draft opinion in June, which will undergo public consultation and advise the European Commission on the future use of the upper 6GHz band.
The operators also highlighted that existing spectrum allocations are insufficient to support the exponential growth in mobile data demand, and future 6G services. “Without the full availability of the upper 6GHz for mobile networks, any future 6G services in this band would be significantly curtailed and ultimately jeopardise Europe’s opportunity to play a leading role in 6G deployment,” the letter warned.
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As research and development for 6G technology accelerates globally, experts anticipate the commercial rollout of 6G to begin in the early 2030s. Europe’s ability to influence that rollout, however, may hinge on decisions made in the coming months.
