Washington, D.C.- A new report released today by WifiForward underscores the high economic stakes of ongoing policy discussions surrounding spectrum allocation in the 6 GHz band. The findings reveal that limiting Wi-Fi to just the lower 500 MHz of the 6 GHz band could forfeit over $1.74 trillion in U.S. economic value over the next two years alone.

The study, conducted by Telecom Advisory Services and building on 2024 projections, quantifies the economic contributions of Wi-Fi under two spectrum policy scenarios.

• Preserving the full 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi uses would generate $1.19 trillion in economic value by 2027.
• Restricting Wi-Fi from the upper 700 MHz of the 6 GHz band (6.425 – 7.125 GHz) would slash that value to $468 billion, barely 40% of the original baseline.

“The study makes it clear: reallocating the upper 700 MHz for licensed use would reverse a policy trajectory that has already yielded tremendous economic benefit, encouraged innovation, and supported consumers through faster, more reliable connections,” said WifiForward Executive Director Mary Brown. “By constraining Wi-Fi just as the newest generation enters the market, the United States would jeopardize its global leadership in unlicensed spectrum policy, forfeit trillions in economic value, and raise costs for American households and businesses alike.”

The study notes that, “every economic category suffers when use of the 6 GHz band is restricted,” including enterprise speed and latency benefits reduced by more than 60%, consumer savings for those who rely on free hotspots falling by roughly the same amount, and rural broadband gains halved as Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) must deploy additional access points to maintain coverage.

Importantly, this analysis captures only the first three years of impact. If the upper 700 MHz remains unavailable for unlicensed use, economic losses accelerate beyond 2027.

Five years ago, the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to allocate spectrum in the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use to accommodate the substantial and ever-growing increase in Wi-Fi demand and ensure “faster, more efficient broadband connections for the American people.”  This prescient decision has delivered real results for American households, consumers, and businesses.

Retaining the entire 6 GHz band for unlicensed operation is not simply a spectrum management preference; it is a macroeconomic imperative. No other single telecommunications policy decision carries a comparable, near-term impact on national GDP and consumer benefit.

You can read the full report here.

Press Contact: media@wififorward.org

About WifiForward:

WifiForward is an ad hoc, broad-based group of companies, organizations and public sector institutions working to alleviate the Wi-Fi spectrum crunch and to support making Wi-Fi even better by finding more unlicensed spectrum.

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