Wireless Broadband Alliance Services (WBA Services) is now offering commercially WBA Services AFC, its automated frequency coordination (AFC) service.
The cloud-based platform is fully certified by the Federal Communications Commission to enable the deployment of standard power Wi-Fi devices in the 6 GHz band (5.925–7.125 GHz) while ensuring they do not cause interference to existing incumbents, such as fixed microwave and radio astronomy links, according to WBA Services officials.
The WBA Services AFC is based on the OpenAFC open-source specification and provides infrastructure manufacturers, service providers, and enterprises with dynamic frequency and power management based on device location and local spectrum conditions. These specifications are in compliance with regulatory requirements while maximizing spectrum availability and performance.
Critical Resource
As the demand for high-speed, low-latency wireless connectivity grows, the 6 GHz band represents a critical resource, said Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of WBA Services, a subsidiary of the Wireless Broadband Alliance.
“Our AFC service empowers the ecosystem to harness this band responsibly and effectively,” said Rodrigues in a statement. “This is another great example of how WBA members’ work on AFC and across our working groups is leading the industry, driving new innovations and business opportunities for Wi-Fi technologies…. in a wide range of industrial, commercial and consumer use cases.”
6 GHz opportunity
The AFC framework is vital for enabling standard power and outdoor Wi-Fi operations in the 6 GHz band, according to alliance officials. Devices query the WBA Services AFC to determine which frequencies and power levels are permitted at their location, allowing optimal use for high-performance deployments in enterprise campuses, public venues, and dense urban environments, without the need for additional spectrum licenses.
WBA Services AFC works with devices by a location detection device, as a standard-power device or proxy determines its location before transmitting. The device subsequently sends this location (and other technical data) to the WBA Services AFC. The system then checks a database of licensed incumbents/operations and calculates which frequencies are available to use in that specific location to maximize the use of the spectrum
Finally, the device receives a list of approved frequencies and power levels for operation. In order to continue operation, devices must check in with the AFC system at least once per day.
New AFC support services
In addition to the core AFC service, WBA Services offers engineering and consulting support that are available for interference resolution, access point deployment planning, and custom software tools to optimize performance and accuracy.
The launch of WBA Services AFC reflects the organization’s goal to advance global Wi-Fi innovation, delivering faster, more reliable, and more secure wireless connectivity. Enabling standard power devices in the 6 GHz band is seen as key to unlocking a critical new spectrum resource for high-performance use cases such as enterprise networking, smart city infrastructure, industrial IoT, and immersive experiences like AR/VR.
WBA Services officials are touting AFC as a more efficient use of the spectrum, benefiting infrastructure providers and service providers as well as end users and businesses that rely on seamless, wireless broadband and low-latency access in public spaces such as offices ad stadiums as well as homes.