FCC permits consumer products to utilize more of the 6GHz band, benefiting Apple

AppleInsider

The ultra-fast, short range 6GHz band has mostly been restricted to licensed commercial use until now, with the FCC permitting companies like Apple to use more of the band for unlicensed consumer products.

Apple Vision Pro

Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and other companies petitioned the FCC in 2019 to gain unlicensed access to the full 1,200 megahertz spectrum of the 6GHz band. Rules to allow unlicensed devices to use 6GHz were drafted in 2020 and have finally passed on October 19, 2023.

According to a document published by the FCC, more of the 6GHz band is available for unlicensed use for very low power device operations. The distinction for very low power devices provides protections against interference to licensed uses, like what is used for telecom.

Devices can take advantage of high speed data transfers across short distances, as long as they operate in the U-NII-5 and U-NII-7 portions of the 6GHz band totaling 850 megahertz. While this information isn't actionable for consumers, it is useful for product development that will enhance what devices are capable of going forward.

The FCC previously opened up a range of the 1,200 megahertz of spectrum between 5.925 and 7.125 GHz. That FCC decision led to the implementation of Wi-Fi 6E and will lead to Wi-Fi 7.

For example, low power device operation at a close range could apply to CarPlay systems, future AirTag models, Apple HomeKit devices, and Apple Vision Pro. Expect the 6GHz bandwidth to become more important as devices run more data hungry operations.

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mobird

Where is the "New" Airport PRO?...

macseeker

mobird said:

Where is the "New" Airport PRO?...

I'd love it!

The Apple Airport Base Stations are easy to configure.  I'm still using mine.

cia

Nothing to do with the article but I'm also going to chime in hoping to see apple bring back the Airport line with modern standards.  I am still using the several of the last generation base stations scattered around as hardwired wifi access points.   I did switch my primary router to a Wifi 6 unit though.

I'll hop on the 6E/7 bandwagon at some point.  Thankfully I don't live in a dense wifi environment so the older equipment works pretty well.

Xed

macseeker said:

mobird said:

Where is the "New" Airport PRO?...

I'd love it!

The Apple Airport Base Stations are easy to configure.  I'm still using mine.

Easy to configure and the most reliable that I've used, but they are incredibly outdated in terms of range, speed, and countless other benefits that modem home routers have. I'd love for Apple to offer a new Airport that can support 10gigE and WiFi 6E but I don't see it happening.

dewme

I think Apple has firmly decided to leave the conventional home networking business behind. That doesn’t mean they can’t deliver a networking product of a different kind, one that delivers all of the capabilities of a conventional router, WiFi access point, etc. But whatever they built would have to have to have a strong tie-in with one or more elements of Apple’s product portfolio and ecosystem. 

But I could see Apple doing something like a multi-node mesh system that includes both Ethernet and WiFi plus all of the gateway functions needed to support the full range of networking technologies supported by HomeKit including Thread, Matter, ZigBee, and Bluetooth. Apple could update their HomePod and HomePod mini to act as range extenders for WiFi access (and Matter as already supported). Amazon’s latest Echo Dot products act as range extenders and nodes for Eero WiFi mesh systems. 

Apple could even incorporate some sort of Apple proprietary security & privacy gateway that adds additional protections to your home network from external security and privacy threats. As much as I’d love an Apple security & privacy gateway to also perform ad blocking, like a PiHole does, I doubt they’d go there. But they certainly could incorporate network level content filtering with tie-ins to Focus modes, for example to limit certain content when in certain Focus modes. They could also use the network device for pay-per-view services on Apple TV+, which nobody but Apple would love.

In any case, I think the go/no-go decision on any new Apple branded network product would be based on Apple’s ability to use it to create tie-ins with other Apple products and services. Just like Apple has done with HomePod, which has never been just another Bluetooth speaker. Simply being easier to configure and manage isn't enough, it has to open up, enhance, or extend an existing revenue stream beyond the sale of the device itself.

Xed

There really is a lot Apple could do to make home networking easier and better for the average user and yet I don’t see them entering again because the profit to cost ratio isn’t good enough.