Why Verizon's CTO isn't totally happy with the leading candidate to be 6G's prime band

Last month, we told you that Verizon and Ericsson teamed up to make the first 6G call in the field. Currently, 7 GHz has been the most widely tested frequency for use with commercial 6G, and seems to be the leading candidate for airwaves that will be used with 6G. 7 GHz is favored because it sits in between the mid-band spectrum for 5G and mmWave high-band frequencies giving it a wide coverage range and plenty of capacity.

7 GHz is the early frontrunner to be the prime band for 6G despite issues spotted by Verizon's CTO

While 7 GHz has been touted as the 6G frontrunner, it seems that Verizon's Chief Technical Officer, Yago Tenorio, was not very impressed with the 7 GHz band. Tenorio spoke at the Brooklyn AI-Native 6G Summit last week and said, "7 GHz versus 3.5 GHz, not surprisingly, has some challenges in penetrating buildings."

This is because 3.5 GHz is considered mid-band, which penetrates houses and trees better than 7 GHz upper mid-band spectrum. The 3.5 GHz spectrum will also cover more distance than 7 GHz.

The test call made last month used pre-commercial equipment running on the 7 GHz spectrum. It was the first test 6G call in the field, and was done to test signal propagation and indoor penetration of the upper midband frequencies.

As we told you last month in our article about the test, a small house was built to test the 7 GHz 6G signals. Inside the house were devices connected to a 6G network.
This house was constructed with various windows and walls so that Verizon and Ericsson could measure the ability of the airwaves to penetrate the house under different construction scenarios.

The bottom line is that 3.5 GHz mid-band penetrates buildings better than 7 GHz. It remains to be seen whether the test will be a big setback for those in the US who favor making 7 GHz a prime band for 6G. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will hold an event on December 10 to release a one-year study of 7 GHz.

This study will supposedly tell us how much 7 GHz spectrum can be cleared for commercial use, when it will be available, and how much it will cost to relocate government users from the band. NTIA chief administrator Arielle Rot says that she hopes once the report is released, the FCC quickly decides on rules for an auction of 7 GHz spectrum.

These are the main bands that the NTIA is considering for 6G

Free Galaxy A17 5G with Straight Talk

Get a free Galaxy A17 with Straight Talk. To claim this deal, you need to pair the phone with activation on a Silver Unlimited Plan or higher. This tier costs $45 per month. Offer valid through 01/10/27 while supplies last online.

Buy at Straight Talk