After much anticipation, the launch of Standard Power (SP) operation for unlicensed devices in the 6 GHz band under Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) has arrived—providing the performance and extended range needed to supercharge enterprise and fixed wireless connectivity applications.
Federated Wireless has closely collaborated with global regulators and industry leaders for more than five years to establish policies and develop a shared 6 GHz band ecosystem, enabling this significant advancement.
The culmination of this collaboration is Federated Wireless’ recent AFC certification and commercial launch in the US, with planned launches in other countries as certification standards are finalized. Given the significant pent-up demand for 6 GHz SP operation, customers across the US have already harnessed the Federated Wireless AFC to access substantial 850 MHz of pristine new spectrum.
Unlocking the 6 GHz Band with AFC
Engineered for superior performance and scalability, the high-availability, cloud-native Federated Wireless AFC platform fulfills the SP promise by delivering increased range and faster speeds. Leveraging proprietary methods, the Federated Wireless AFC maximizes spectrum availability for unlicensed devices while fully safeguarding incumbent 6 GHz users from interference.
The exceptional capability of the Federated Wireless AFC, along with the company’s extensive experience in shared spectrum solutions, has enabled leading wireless solution providers including Cisco, HPE Aruba Networking, MediaTek, and Tarana to already announce commercial AFC agreements with Federated Wireless.
Accelerating Enterprise Wi-Fi 6E and 7 deployments
Under AFC control, enterprise Wi-Fi 6E and 7 devices can now operate outdoors, driving wide-spread connectivity in large public spaces and venues such as stadiums, arenas, conference centers and pop-up entertainment locations. AFC control also delivers a significant increase for indoor uses—63 times more than was previously possible, allowing 6 GHz APs to provide coverage in challenging indoor areas such as those with high ceilings, long corridors, inside and around stairwells, and throughout warehouses and auditoriums.
For more details on enterprise use cases, see this Cisco Community blog: Why we need 6GHz Standard Power and AFC
Delivering Low-Cost Fixed Wireless Connectivity
6 GHz spectrum and SP levels are also well suited for Fixed Wireless use cases. Accessing the Federated Wireless AFC cost-effectively provides high-performance, high-capacity wireless broadband to remote areas, underserved subscribers and places where running fiber is cost prohibitive or simply not an option.
What to Consider in an AFC Partner
Not all AFC providers and systems are created equal. You’ll want to consider the whole package including shared spectrum, regulatory and interoperability experience and expertise, onboarding services, SLA management, integration services, support options, planning tools and more.
Today, Federated Wireless manages 3.5 GHz CBRS shared spectrum access for over 180,000 devices through our award-winning Spectrum Access System (SAS). Leveraging this experience and expertise for AFC, we provide a proven, cutting-edge platform that exceeds operational requirements, delivers highly efficient database management, and adheres to the most stringent security standards for smooth and reliable implementation of unlicensed device SP operation in the 6 GHz band.
Federated Wireless also manages SLAs, maintains a 24/7/365 Network Operations Center (NOC) with live support, and has a history of delivering 99.999% availability for cloud native applications. In addition to an architecture tested to manage millions of devices for performance and scale, our AFC system utilizes an extensive Geospatial Data Repository and proprietary database of incumbent receiver radio and antenna details to optimize spectrum availability.
We understand that our customers’ success hinges on the reliability of our shared spectrum solutions. That’s why Federated Wireless is an early-to-market partner for 6 GHz enterprise and fixed wireless customers, offering high-availability and low-latency spectrum access, professional services, and spectrum planning to easily improve manageability and troubleshooting.
Tune in to the latest episodes of Cisco’s podcast, where Cisco Champions and Federated Wireless unravel the mysteries behind this cutting-edge technology. Discover how AFC plays a crucial role in supercharging wireless communication. Listen here for insightful exploration!
By: Sam MacMullan
