Open Letter from leading European telecom companies on the critical importance of designating the upper 6 GHz spectrum band for mobile networks

The signatories of this letter, as key providers of fixed and mobile services in Europe and leading European telecom equipment suppliers, would like to draw your attention to the future use of the upper 6 GHz (6,425 – 7,125 MHz) spectrum band and emphasize the need to safeguard the evolution of mobile services, also known as IMT.

The European Commission’s White Paper “How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?” sets a clear vision for the future of connectivity in Europe, underlining the importance of telecommunications for the welfare of societies. According to a Deloitte report, connectivity has the potential to support an increase of GDP per capita of 7.2% if Europe can reach 90% of the Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) by 2027.

With Europe’s mobile traffic growing at 20-25% per annum, and with additional use cases emerging, the European telecom operators project that citizens and enterprises will critically need access to additional mobile spectrum. The upper 6 GHz band is the only spectrum that can address this requirement in an economical and sustainable manner.

The availability of the upper 6 GHz band for mobile services is vital for the evolution of 5G and in future 6G. It is a key prerequisite to improve Europe’s competitiveness and ambitions to place it ahead of leading markets, like China and the U.S. The EU and its Member States have allocated €11 billion to 6G research and development programs, but access to the upper 6 GHz spectrum band is key to ensuring the successful deployment of these technologies.

Mr. Letta’s report, “Much more than a market”, acknowledges this, stating: “Europe’s strategic interest lies in safeguarding its leadership in 5G and 6G development and standardisation […]. Allocating [the upper 6GHz band] for IMT use is crucial for facilitating the high-performance and quality development of 5G services, which, in turn, will lay the groundwork for 6G technologies”.

Unfortunately, current discussions in Europe do not reflect this reality. Instead, the focus is on spectrum sharing scenarios between Wi-Fi and IMT that would undermine the economic viability of mobile deployments. Without unrestricted access to the complete 700 MHz in the upper 6 GHz band for the mobile industry, the potential of this band for European society would vanish.

European telecom operators provide both mobile and fixed services, including Wi-Fi at homes, companies and public places. The addition of new license-exempt spectrum for WiFi in the lower 6 GHz band almost doubled that previously available. It is only lightly used and is sufficient to satisfy current and future needs of European citizens and enterprises.

The European telecommunications industry is committed to support Europe’s global technology leadership by developing and investing in infrastructure, provided the required spectrum resources and investment incentives are made available. This is also a prerequisite for the continued success and global leadership of Europe’s domestic technology suppliers. Sharing the upper 6 GHz band between mobile networks and Wi-Fi would simply be a concession at the expense of European network operators and customers.

We, as leading European Telecom companies, ask the European Commission and European national administrations to make the complete upper 6 GHz band available for mobile services without undue restrictions, for the benefit of European societies, and strengthening overall European competitiveness.

Signed by: