Reviewing wireless broadband technologies in the peak smartphone era: 6G versus Wi-Fi 7 and 8

Edward Oughton, Giovanni Geraci, Michele Polese, Vijay Shah, Dean Bubley and Scott Blue

Telecommunications Policy, 2024, vol. 48, issue 6

Abstract: With the arrival of the peak smartphone era, users are upgrading their smartphones less frequently, and data growth is decelerating. To ensure effective spectrum management decisions, policy makers require a thorough understanding of prospective wireless broadband technologies, current trends and emerging issues. Here, we review the sixth cellular generation (‘6G’), in comparison to two new Wi-Fi standards, including IEEE 802.11be (‘Wi-Fi 7’) and IEEE 802.11bn (‘Wi-Fi 8’). We identify three emerging issues necessary for successful telecommunication policy. Firstly, evidenced-based policy making needs to be able to measure effectively how much demand takes place where and how. Thus, new datasets are needed reflecting real usage by different wireless broadband technologies, for indoor and outdoor users. Secondly, with data consumption growth slowing, there needs to be an urgent reassessment of spectrum demand versus allocation. Past forecasts do not reflect recent data and regulators urgently need to re-evaluate the implications for spectrum management. Finally, regulators need new and improved Lifecycle Impact Assessment metrics of cellular versus Wi-Fi architectures, to support successful policy decisions which mitigate energy and emissions impacts.

Keywords: 6G; Wi-Fi; 802.11; Wireless; Broadband; Smartphone; Internet (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308596124000636
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:telpol:v:48:y:2024:i:6:s0308596124000636

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30471/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... /30471/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2024.102766

Access Statistics for this article

Telecommunications Policy is currently edited by Erik Bohlin

More articles in Telecommunications Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().