What Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ means for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 users (Hint: It’s not pretty)

I thought we’d dodged a networking bullet when the US Budget bill, aka the “One Big Beautiful Bill (BBB),” didn’t include a freeze on AI regulation, which had been tied to broadband funding from the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. 

However, I missed the point that the bill still includes provisions that could force the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to auction off significant portions of the 6GHz spectrum currently reserved for unlicensed Wi-Fi use.

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These provisions won’t make users of advanced Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 networking gear happy. With my Netgear Orbi 970, I’ve seen speeds of up to 2Gbps, thanks in part to its use of the 6GHz band.

I’m not alone. Newer Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, and Pixel devices, along with recent MacBooks, iPads, Xbox Series X and S, and Lenovo ThinkPads, can all use Wi-Fi 6 and/or 7’s 6GHz band.

This band, spanning from 5.925 to 7.125 GHz, was opened for unlicensed use in 2020. These frequencies have become critical as the demand for wireless connectivity surges in homes, businesses, and public spaces. Its range is short, about 50 feet indoors, with a clear line of sight between the router and the devices. 

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So, why would cellular companies want this band? According to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), the global mobile network operators trade association, the 6GHz band is necessary for 5G “for mobile to flourish and meet demand by 2030.” 

Not all mobile companies agree. AT&T, for one, doesn’t see a need for the additional bandwidth. AT&T CFO Pascal Desroches, at a tech conference, said: “We think it’s a good thing long term for the industry to have more spectrum. But there is no pressing need that I feel like we have to go out and acquire spectrum in the next 12, 24, even 36 months.”

Nevertheless, backed by President Trump and championed by Senator Ted Cruz, the BBB removes previous safeguards that protected the 6GHz band from being auctioned for exclusive, licensed use by mobile carriers. Now the FCC may be forced to auction off as much as half of the unlicensed spectrum in this band. 

Five years ago, the story was different. In 2020, the Trump-dominated FCC allocated all 1,200 megahertz of spectrum in the 6GHz band for Wi-Fi use. Today, however, Ajit Pai, the former head of the FCC, who championed that move and is now CEO of the CTIA, the US telecom lobbying group, is arguing that the mobile network needs the spectrum more. 

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Pai said: “Establishing a robust 800 megahertz pipeline of mid-band spectrum with a specific time frame for action is critical to meeting growing consumer demand, securing US leadership in 5G, and strengthening national and economic security.”

Pro-Wi-Fi organizations, such as the Wi-Fi Alliance, disagree. They argue that reallocating the 6GHz band would undermine Wi-Fi’s evolution and harm consumers who depend on fast, reliable wireless connections for work, education, and entertainment. 

In a letter to Cruz and other lawmakers, the Alliance said: “The 6GHz band constitutes the foundation for Wi-Fi’s continued development and growth because the band’s characteristics are perfectly suited to indoor networking that is the hallmark of Wi-Fi, while being flexible enough to support targeted outdoor uses. In locations ranging from small businesses and homes to stadiums, hospitals, schools, wearables, and advanced manufacturing, Wi-Fi is the workhorse of the internet.” 

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Be that as it may, it appears clear that sometime in the next year or so, a chunk of the 6GHz bandwidth will be up for purchase by the highest bidder. 

What will that sale mean for you? Home and business Wi-Fi could become slower and less reliable, especially in crowded environments where the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are already congested. 

As for faster 5G connections, I wouldn’t expect to see any mobile network using 6GHz anytime in the 2020s. Deploying new mobile network bandwidth is a long, slow process.