Wi-Fi 7’s Promise Meets Spectrum Reality

Wi-Fi 7 promises to revolutionize enterprise connectivity with its ability to harness the 6GHz spectrum, delivering unprecedented speed and reliability for modern digital demands. However, in Australia, regulatory constraints are limiting its full potential. While companies like Extreme Networks champion the technology’s benefits, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has yet to release the entire 6GHz band, despite ongoing advocacy from industry representatives.

Extreme Networks reports that global enterprises are increasingly turning to Wi-Fi 7 to boost network efficiency, minimize operational downtime, and meet the escalating requirements of contemporary business software. One notable adopter is Barker College in Australia. James Stewart, the college’s Head of ICT, explained their decision to upgrade from an older Wi-Fi 5 system to Extreme’s Wi-Fi 7. He stated the new infrastructure provides seamless, continuous, high-capacity connectivity throughout their K–12 educational spaces. The system has successfully handled the demands of a large student population and sophisticated classroom tools, including immersive learning experiences, artificial intelligence applications, interactive lessons, and smart classroom technologies. Stewart emphasized that the solution delivers the necessary speed, dependability, and capacity to fuel next-generation educational initiatives and support complex administrative operations.

Wi-Fi 7, along with its immediate forerunner Wi-Fi 6E, marks a significant leap as the first Wi-Fi standards to operate in the 6GHz band. This internationally recognized spectrum spans from 5925MHz to 7125MHz. While Wi-Fi 6 and 6E maintained a maximum throughput similar to Wi-Fi 5 at 6.9Gbps, Wi-Fi 7 achieves a dramatic increase to 46Gbps. This boost is possible because the technology can aggregate multiple wireless channels at the same time. An additional advantage is that the 6GHz band remains far less congested than the heavily used 5GHz and 2.4GHz frequencies, at least for the foreseeable future.

Regulatory approaches to the 6GHz band vary globally. In the United States, the entire band is open for Wi-Fi use. In Australia, the ACMA initially opened the lower 500MHz segment (5925–6425MHz) in 2022 and has recently expanded it by another 100MHz, extending the available range to 6525MHz. This incremental approach falls short of the full allocation sought by industry advocates.

Organizations like the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance have persistently lobbied the ACMA to free up the complete 6GHz band for Wi-Fi. In August 2024, the Alliance published a comprehensive 105-page report prepared by Telecom Advisory Services (TSA), titled “Assessment of the economic value of 6GHz spectrum band in Australia.” The report’s economic analysis projected that allocating the full band would contribute approximately US$1.22 billion (A$1.87 billion) to Australia’s GDP over the decade leading to 2034. In contrast, limiting access to only the lower 500MHz would reduce this economic benefit to an estimated US$963.4 million (A$1.48 billion).

The situation in the United States presents a cautionary tale. Even with the full 6GHz band currently available, proposals to restrict access have prompted strong reactions from industry groups. The lobby group Wireless Forward has warned that reducing available spectrum would create an unnecessary drag on productivity growth, particularly as American companies are intensifying their digital transformation efforts and reshoring advanced manufacturing operations.

(Source: ITWire Australia)