Spectrum Sharing in the upper 6G band

Spectrum has traditionally been assigned by the regulator with an exclusive license for various services such as mobile network operators (MNOs). This has led to the digital divide with low density populated areas and in particular rural areas being less served by mobile operators. In contrast, Wi-Fi spectrum in the 2 GHz, 5 GHz and lower 6 GHz band (5.925-6.425 GHz) are unlicensed with regulation being on the transmitted power. In the UK, Ofcom sets the limits typically ranging from 200 mW for indoor coverage to 1 W for outdoor coverage depending on the frequency band where some bands can be used for both indoor and outdoor communication. In the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) World Radiocommunications Conference 2023 (WRC-23), the band from 6.425-7.125 GHz designated upper 6 GHz band was proposed for future allocation. In view of this Ofcom has published its vision for hybrid sharing for example between mobile and Wi-Fi. To study the potential of sharing, DSIT funded three sandboxes. In this paper, we give an overview of the Durham University led Sandbox.