Catenaa, Monday, October 20, 2025- Vodafone is lobbying European regulators to allocate the upper 6 GHz spectrum for licensed mobile use, arguing it will enable faster 5G and future 6G connectivity across the continent.
In recent tests, Vodafone used a MediaTek M90-equipped smartphone and 200 MHz of spectrum with carrier aggregation to achieve peak downlink speeds of 2.5 Gbps, though uplink speeds remained between 50 and 180 Mbps.
The telco emphasized that doubling channel size beyond the current 100 MHz standard could cut capacity costs by over 40 percent, improving efficiency for high-demand applications.
The move forms part of a broader effort by European operators to secure sufficient bandwidth for emerging mobile services, including AI-powered wearables, connected cars, and remote healthcare.
Vodafone stressed that future critical services, such as climate management and smart transport, rely on robust, wide-area mobile networks and that failing to secure the upper 6 GHz band could create capacity bottlenecks.
However, the push faces opposition from the Wi-Fi industry, represented by the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, which argues the spectrum is better suited for unlicensed use across industrial, educational, and healthcare applications.
Other regions, including North America, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, have already allocated upper 6 GHz frequencies for unlicensed Wi-Fi, fueling ecosystem growth.
Vodafone’s call comes as the European Commission’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group has yet to decide on long-term plans for the band.
While the telco highlights potential benefits, critics note the significant investment required for 6 GHz radios and the slowing growth rate of mobile data, which may undermine the economic case for expanding licensed mobile spectrum.
