The Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill, supported by President Donald Trump, proposes auctioning off portions of the unlicensed 6GHz spectrum, which is currently used to enhance Wi-Fi speeds and capacity. This could lead to slower Wi-Fi performance for users as the FCC might have to sell as much as half of the spectrum to mobile carriers like AT&T. While this auction would generate government revenue and prepare carriers for future wireless technologies, it could undermine the benefits of the 6GHz band introduced in 2020, which supports faster, more reliable Wi-Fi through Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. Many modern devices, including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and smart home gadgets, depend on this band for improved connectivity. Industry leaders, including Apple, Amazon, and Meta, have urged lawmakers to keep the 6GHz band unlicensed to support ongoing technological advancements.
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