Australia targets early 2028 for 6 GHz AFC Wi-Fi rollout

Australia's regulator ACMA wants accredited AFC-controlled, standard-power outdoor Wi-Fi running in the 5925–6585 MHz band by early 2028, which would make the country only the fourth market with a commercial 6 GHz automatic frequency coordination system.

The timeline sits in a new consultation document published this month. ACMA plans to develop an AFC framework, including a variation of its Low Interference Potential Device (LIPD) class licence plus accreditation arrangements, and to publish both in the third quarter of 2027. The final proposal follows between Q4 2027 and Q1 2028.

"We expect that AFC deployment will be able to commence at this point, enabling accredited AFC system providers to deploy services within the established framework," ACMA said. All proposals remain subject to industry feedback.

What can unlicensed users do today?

Not much, outdoor. Australia already permits low-power indoor and very-low-power outdoor devices in the band under LIPD licensing, updated in October 2025. Power is capped at 25 mW.

ACMA has identified demand for wider coverage: wireless broadband in industrial settings such as mines, and campus environments such as universities. That needs standard power, and standard power needs coordination, because the lower 6 GHz incumbents are fixed point-to-point links, fixed satellite services and radio astronomy.

Australia also went wider than most. The typical international lower 6 GHz unlicensed allocation stops at 6425 MHz; Canberra extended it to 6585 MHz.

How would accreditation work?

Two models exist internationally. In the US and Canada, prospective AFC software providers file an application open to public consultation, then pass lab testing and, in the US, public trials. Accreditation lands at the end.

The UK backs the other approach: accredit the system provider, who then owns responsibility for software compliance. ACMA prefers the British route. "Given the potential for increased Australian industry participation and reduced regulatory complexity, a system provider accreditation model is currently our preferred approach," the regulator said. It will focus "on outcomes and accountability, rather than on the approval of individual software products".

ACMA also believes varying the existing LIPD licence beats creating a new licence type. The consultation sets out its preliminary view on licensing, provider accreditation and coexistence arrangements.

What about 5G in the upper 6 GHz?

One wrinkle: IMT services such as 5G operate in parts of the upper 6 GHz band above 6585 MHz. Standard-power Wi-Fi below that line creates an out-of-band coexistence issue that may require a guard band in some areas to protect 5G. Any guard band would sit below 6585 MHz and would not apply to VLP or LPI use.

Who supports it, who's worried?

The march towards consultation has been brisk. ACMA released a discussion paper on AFC in the lower 6 GHz band in December 2025, then fielded 15 responses to a mention in its draft "Five Year Spectrum Outlook", published in March 2026. Most respondents — Wi-Fi and spectrum sharing players, plus some satellite operators — back the initiative. Mobile industry respondents raised concerns about potential interference and future 6G spectrum availability. Some suggested conditions: power restrictions, AFC database accuracy measurement, an audit of device records, and location-specific exclusion zones. Four trials of standard-power outdoor Wi-Fi equipment between 5925 and 6585 MHz are already underway across Australia.

Who's in the AFC club so far?

Only two commercial 6 GHz AFC systems exist worldwide: the US, covering 6525–6875 MHz, and Canada, covering 5925–6875 MHz. Ofcom is taking a similar route to ACMA — AFC-controlled outdoor and higher-power Wi-Fi in 5925–6585 MHz, plus AFC-controlled Wi-Fi in the upper 6 GHz band where mobile is prioritised — and has accepted applications from prospective AFC providers since 1 September 2026, with commercial launch anticipated in early 2027. That would put the UK third and Australia fourth.

Others are queueing. Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in August 2026 it will finalise a regulatory framework for standard-power 6 GHz Wi-Fi by end-March 2027, though operational timing is unclear. South Korea has trialled AFC but did not respond to enquiries about its plans. Saudi Arabia is considering the technology without commercial service yet.

If Ofcom launches on schedule and ACMA holds its Q3 2027 framework date, Australia's miners and campus network managers should see coordinated standard-power Wi-Fi little more than a year later.