Verizon has asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a one-year experimental licence to transmit in the 4.8-4.9 GHz band at its Los Angeles lab, in what observers say is the first 6G-focused test application for those frequencies.

The US's second-largest mobile operator plans to pair the trial with advanced 5G hardware and software from Ericsson, according to the filing. The licence, if granted, would run for 12 months and cover outdoor testing using fixed base stations with directional antennas.

In its application, Verizon told the FCC the authorisation would let it "demonstrate 5G advanced technology use cases such as object sensing as a precursor to 6G Integrated Sensing and Communication." Integrated Sensing and Communication, or ISAC, lets a radio network detect, locate and track objects. Ericsson has promoted ISAC as a building block for autonomous-vehicle collision avoidance, UAV airspace monitoring and industrial automation.

Samsung Research America has separately applied for an experimental licence covering 4720-4820 MHz. It is not clear whether that filing targets 6G specifically.

What is the regulatory backdrop?

The 4.8-4.9 GHz range sits inside the 4.4-4.94 GHz block the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced in August it would study. The Trump Administration has set a target of identifying 500 MHz of spectrum to auction for 6G by 2029. NTIA is also examining 1675-1695 MHz, 2700-2900 MHz and 7125-7400 MHz.

The only FCC auction currently on the schedule covers the Upper C-Band at 3.98-4.2 GHz, which will award 800 MHz of licences.

What does Verizon actually plan to test?

Verizon said it intends to deploy transmitting hardware in a private-network setting, disconnected from its commercial network. The company acknowledged it does not know who the incumbent users in the band are and asked the FCC and NTIA to identify potentially affected parties before trials begin.

"If incumbent licensees experience interference, Verizon Wireless will cease interfering operations," the application states.

If the trial eventually translates into a commercial deployment, Verizon would use its own licensed spectrum rather than the experimental frequencies. The carrier described the test as groundwork for "future 6G technology" development.

Why is the 4 GHz band drawing industry attention?

A report Accenture prepared for CTIA, the US wireless trade body, claims the 4 GHz band "is key to securing US wireless and AI leadership." The analysis projects US networks will need 820 MHz of additional mid-band spectrum and warns that without it, nearly one-third of future demand could go unmet.

Spectrum for the Future, a separate trade group, has also backed shared use of the band. NTIA has suggested shared access is a possibility, a scenario the group argues could "support private networks behind AI-enabled robotics, smart factories, automated logistics and energy systems."

"Congress put sharing on the table, and this analysis shows why it belongs at the center of the 4.4 GHz study," said Dave Wright, the group's policy director.

"We have a rare opportunity to put more spectrum to work for American innovation while protecting critical federal missions," Wright added. "NTIA should fully examine that opportunity before deciding how this band is ultimately configured."

Andrew Clegg, CTO at Valo Analytica, who contributed to the Spectrum for the Future report, said: "AI, robotics, and advanced manufacturing are going to require enormous amounts of reliable wireless connectivity. Our analysis shows we can unlock that capacity using sharing tools that already work at scale, bringing more spectrum into use sooner while protecting the federal missions that depend on it."

What happens next?

The FCC must act on Verizon's request before testing can begin. The application also leaves room for the regulator to delay trials until NTIA finishes mapping incumbent users in the band. The wider 4.4-4.94 GHz study, alongside parallel reviews of 1.6 GHz, 2.7 GHz and lower 7 GHz, will shape whether 6G services in the US anchor on shared mid-band spectrum or on the licensed bands carriers already hold.