Wireless Broadband Alliance Services Launches Commercial AFC Service, Enabling Standard Power Wi-Fi in 6 GHz Band Leveraging Critical Spectrum

Wireless Broadband Alliance Services announced the commercial launch of WBA Services AFC, its Automated Frequency Coordination service. The cloud-based platform is fully certified by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and enables 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.

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. By enabling standard power devices in the 6 GHz band, WBA Services is 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. AFC enables more efficient use of the spectrum, benefiting not only infrastructure providers and service providers, but the millions of end users and businesses that rely on seamless, wireless broadband and low-latency access in homes, offices, stadiums, and public spaces.

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. This ensures compliance with regulatory requirements while maximizing spectrum availability and performance.

Tiago Rodrigues, CEO of Wireless Broadband Alliance Services, said: “As the demand for high-speed, low-latency wireless connectivity grows, the 6 GHz band represents a critical resource. Our AFC service empowers the ecosystem to harness this band responsibly and effectively. 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 including Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 in a wide range of industrial, commercial and consumer use cases.”

The AFC framework is vital for enabling standard power and outdoor Wi-Fi operations in the 6 GHz band. Devices query the WBA Services AFC to determine which frequencies and power levels are permitted at their location. This enables real-time, interference-free spectrum use for high-performance deployments in enterprise campuses, public venues, and dense urban environments, without the need for additional spectrum licenses.

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.

How WBA Services AFC works with devices