The 6GHz band is en route for Apple, Meta, and Google devices.
The FCC has given the companies approval to tap into the 6GHz band for wireless devices. The move comes four years after the companies combined forces to petition the FCC for access to the spectrum, with one of the biggest use cases being for augmented reality and virtual reality devices.
The agency cited its approval via the following press release:
The Federal Communications Commission today opened the 6 GHz band to a new class of very low-power devices that will operate alongside other WiFi-enabled devices. These rules will spur an eco-system of cutting-edge applications, including wearable technologies and augmented and virtual reality, that will help businesses, enhance learning opportunities, advance healthcare opportunities, and bring new entertainment experiences.
Recognizing the need to provide even more flexibility and foster unlicensed innovation, the Commission established rules that permit devices that operate at very low power (VLP) across short distances and provide very high connection speeds, which are ideal for the types of high- data rate cutting-edge applications that will both enrich consumer experiences and bolster the nation’s economy. These include, for example, advanced augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), wearable sensors and technologies, and variety of Internet of Things devices.
The decision allows Apple to use higher power levels within the 6GHz band to unlock “very high connection speeds.” The signals themselves are not permitted to reach very far and will be geofenced from potential interference with current licensed usage in the 6GHz band.
- In the initial joint petition, Apple, Meta, and Google stated that it would be “critically important to future innovations in augmented and virtual reality” to have access to this spectrum.
- The companies cited several potential use cases, including:
Immersive AR/VR connectivity and other advanced peripherals, such as the connection between AR glasses and a smartphone. - In vehicles where vehicle penetration loss further reduces the risk of harmful interference.
- These applications include streaming from smartphones to infotainment systems (or vice versa), transmission of navigation data, and other applications.
Apple’s element of the petition for use of the spectrum cited cases such as Vision Pro and next-gen AR and VR devices. The company also cited in-car infotainment use cases that could also benefit future implementations of CarPlay, unlocking more powerful connectivity between the phone and the car itself.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.