On January 7, 2026, Brendan Carr announced that the FCC will soon vote on a transformative Order to expand the use of the 6 GHz band, paving the way for faster Wi-Fi and the next generation of smart devices, such as AR/VR and short-range hotspots.
What are Geofenced Variable Power (GVP) Devices?
The centerpiece of this proposal is the creation of a new category of unlicensed devices: Geofenced Variable Power (GVP) devices. Unlike previous device classes, GVP devices offer:
- Higher Power: They operate at significantly higher power levels than Very Low Power (VLP) devices, allowing for much higher data rates.
- Outdoor use: While Low Power Indoor (LPI) devices are restricted to the indoors, GVP devices can be used outside.
But the FCC is not stopping at GVP devices. The Commission is also seeking public comment on further improvements to the 6 GHz band, including permitting certain access points to operate with additional power under specific circumstances.
Despite the safeguards, as millions of new unlicensed high power devices enter the 6GHz band operators of licensed microwave links face increased risk of interference, and as a result Public safety and utility operators like the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council have previously expressed concern that the FCC is prioritizing “consumer gadgets” over the mission-critical communications.
The Impact on Licensed 6 GHz Microwave Operators
How Geofencing Works: Proposed “Sharing” Mechanisms
For every licensed 6 GHz link, a software-defined exclusion zone is created. This zone is typically a narrow, elongated shape following the “beam” of the licensed microwave signal. If a GVP device is outside these zones, it can transmit at full “variable power” (up to 24 dBm EIRP). If it enters an exclusion zone, it must immediately drop its power to a safe level or switch to a different, non-conflicting frequency.
Unlike “Standard Power” devices that must check a database (AFC) to see if a frequency is clear, there are concerns that geofencing for GVP devices may not be granular enough to protect sensitive receivers in dense urban areas.
Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) is only as good as the Universal Licensing System (ULS) database, which has often seen to contain inaccurate or outdated location and antenna data, meaning the “exclusion zones” meant to protect them might be calculated based on the wrong coordinates.
You also have the risk of ‘rogue’ operators of Wi-Fi 6E outdoor access points which can be extremely difficult to detect and resolve, as we previous detailed in our blog post Licensed 6 GHz Links are under threat from all sides.
WHAT CAN YOU DO
3 Ways to Protect Your 6 GHz Links from Wi-Fi Interference
Fortunately, Aviat has developed a range of solutions to detect, mitigate and resolve the impacts of worsening Wi-Fi 6E interference.
Specifically developed to monitor, assess and report on PTMP/Wi-Fi 6E interference. It is simple to implement on your existing links without updating hardware or software and can be deployed as a premises or hosted solution. Aviat’s Frequency Assurance Software (FAS) will detect the interference and predict the likely impact on link operation, whether that be degraded operation or a complete outage. FAS uses onboard analytics to detect problems and then present the necessary data in a concise report format. In addition to FAS, Aviat can also provide an Interference Diagnostic Service (IDS) to help you categorize, document and understand interference, and to determine how it can be resolved.
You can mitigate the worst effects of Wi-Fi 6E interference by upgrading your existing 6 GHz link to Multi-Band. This involves deploying a second 11 GHz link side by side so that in the event of degradation or an outage of the 6 GHz link your most important traffic can be maintained on the 11 GHz channel. Traffic is efficiently and smoothly balanced between the two 6 and 11 GHz channels using Aviat’s Patented Layer 1 Link Aggregation (L1LA), and both links can be supported using a single Multi-Band antenna. Aviat’s indoor IRU 600 radio makes it easy as it can support both 6 and 11 GHz within a single compact chassis, along with a single multi-band antenna.
Frankly this is the best and most reliable solution. Move your critical links to 11 GHz and avoid all interference, period. Aviat’s Ultra-High Power IRU 600 makes this viable, meaning you can often move to 11 GHz and get more capacity thanks to wider channels being available (80 MHz), and often this means not having to go to a larger antenna – Aviat estimates that more than 80% of 6 GHz links in the USA can be replaced by IRU 600 UHP using the same antenna size. Read more about IRU 600 UHP in our blog posts Discover the Future of Wireless Connectivity with Aviat’s IRU 600 UHP and Solving Modern Microwave Network Challenges with the IRU 600 UHP Radio.
Aviat Interference Diagnostic Service (IDS) is available to help you categorize, document and understand interference, so you can report it to the FCC and determine how it can be resolved. Aviat can also help check and update details of your links in the FCC ULS database to ensure accurate geofencing and improve protection of your mission critical links.
If approved this latest move by the FCC potentially will put more pressure on your mission critical 6 GHz links, but you do have several options available.