The EU is close to making a “serious strategic error” when it comes to usage of the 6 GHz spectrum band, a joint open letter from the Wi-Fi Alliance and Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) has claimed.

In the letter, the groups raised “profound concerns” around how the EU is addressing wireless connectivity in Europe, arguing that political considerations are overriding concrete evidence gathered by expert groups when it comes to allocating key spectrum bands.

The EU Commission’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) is currently evaluating multiple strategies regarding sharing the upper 6 GHz band between license-exempt technologies, such as Wi-Fi, and licensed mobile networks. The RSPG has been taking input from various stakeholders in identifying the best approach.

In their letter, the Wi-Fi Alliance and DSA specifically targeted the German government, claiming it has ignored input from the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations and the RSPG, which argued that Wi-Fi is better placed to use the 6 GHz spectrum band than mobile networks.

Instead, the German government is now advocating that all 700 MHz in the band is “prioritized for mobile networks,” according to the letter.

A spokesperson for the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport told news outlet Heise that the government was looking at allocating the band to mobile communications.

The spokesperson said that frequency requirements of mobile network operators in the upper 6 GHz band are being assessed “as greater” with a view to future 6G applications than the requirements of WLAN users.

But, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance and DSA, blocking Wi-Fi access to the upper 6 GHz band would be “devastating to the future of Wi-Fi technology in Europe.”

“This spectrum is uniquely positioned to sustain the evolution of the Wi-Fi ecosystem and enable the next generation of digital innovation,” their letter said. “Reserving this critical spectrum for hypothetical 6G deployments that may never materialise – at the expense of advanced 6 GHz Wi-Fi technology that already exists and can deliver tangible connectivity benefits to European consumers and businesses – would be a serious misstep.”

The two groups also warned that failure to allocate a portion of the band to license-exempt use would contradict the European Commission’s mandate and could “undermine the credibility of the institutional process.”

The RSPG plans to submit a final opinion at the RSPG Plenary on 13 November, 2025.