The European Commission decided to make available a substantially greater amount of radio spectrum in the 5 GHz range throughout the European Union for Wi-Fi. The Commission decision, which is to be implemented by Member States by 31 October 2005, makes two specific frequency bands (5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5725 MHz) available in all Member States for wireless access systems. A large amount of flexibility is provided with respect to what type of service or network topology the technology is used for. The decision also introduces spectrum management approaches, by requiring the application of "intelligent" techniques to protect other radio spectrum users against harmful interference, such as military radar and satellite services. Other major markets, such as Japan and the US, are implementing similar rules for the 5 GHz bands based on- the outcome of the World Radiocommunications Conference 2003. A large market in the EU will encourage other countries to align themselves to the same specifications.
The industrial sector is on the eve of a wireless transformation, driven by an urgent demand for greater network capacity, reliability, and deterministic performance. Historically, manufacturers and mission-critical operations have relied on wired networks — favoring their predictability — because spectrum congestion in legacy 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands limited confidence in wireless for operational technology (OT) environments. However, with the introduction and rapid adoption of the 6GHz spectrum, compounded by significant advances in Wi-Fi standards, industrial facilities are now poised to embrace wireless LANs as the backbone for automation and digital innovation. Industrial WLAN Market Development Recent research from ABI Research forecasts that over 70 percent of industrial-grade wireless LAN access points (WLAN APs) shipped in 2030 will support the 6GHz band. This is a leap from 2 percent in 2023, highlighting a rapid and profound technological shift. The market for ruggedized indust...