As policymakers around the world consider the future of the 6 GHz frequency band, a recent report from WIK-Consult asserts that allowing Wi-Fi access to the entire frequency band advances environmental sustainability goals in combating climate change.
The WIK-Consult study prepared for Wi-Fi Alliance, entitled ‘Sustainability Benefits of 6 GHz Spectrum Policy’, showed that, with sufficient access to spectrum, Wi-Fi outperforms cellular networks in delivering broadband connectivity with significant reductions in energy consumption and environmental footprint.
Wi-Fi Alliance facilitated this report to help countries’ ambitious aims to respond to the climate-change threat. According to the WIK-Consult analysis: “Allowing Wi-Fi access to the entire 6 GHz frequency band in Europe would eliminate 3.2 megatons of CO2 emission per year. Similar results can be expected in other parts of the world.”
Wi-Fi Alliance called on policymakers to recognise that opening the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi – in addition to environmental benefits – enables a wide range of new technologies and use-cases that align with growing broadband fibre deployments.