The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) published a public consultation related to the Wireless Local Area Network (Wi-Fi 6) and CRA's proposed policy for assigning the full frequency band (5925 - 7125 MHz) to this network.
Wi-Fi 6 is one of the world's new and cutting-edge technologies, helping to address internet data traffic congestion issues caused by the connectivity of multiple devices to the same Wi-Fi. Through this initiative, CRA aims to receive views and comments from the local and international stakeholders and interested parties about its proposed decision.
His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai, President of CRA, said: "CRA is one of the first regulators in the region and the world to announce clearly and transparently its policy related to the frequency band for the Wi-Fi 6 technology, as CRA is always keen to encourage the introduction of advanced technologies to Qatar and keep its relevant regulatory instruments up to date to cover the new technologies and radiocommunications applications, which will contribute to a better future.”
Wi-Fi 6 will enable consumers in Qatar to connect more devices to the Wi-Fi with high-speed internet connectivity, which includes laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and smart TV. Also, Wi-Fi 6 will enable different Internet of Things (IoT) applications and support innovative applications such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Ultra High Definition video (Ultra HD).
In terms of Wi-Fi 6 use cases in Qatar, H.E pointed out: “The introduction of this technology will help support many sectors in Qatar, including the education sector, especially with the current approach related to remote learning through the internet because of the conditions associated with the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Moreover, this technology will also support the mobile telecom market as a complementary technology to the (5G) Networks, especially during Qatar's hosting of major events, including the FIFA World Cup - Qatar 2022.”
It is worth mentioning that CRA has reviewed the experiences and the policy statements of several countries in this regard, and found that some countries have decided to assign the full frequency band to Wi-Fi 6 technology, such as the United States of America, the Republic of South Korea, and others, while some other countries have decided to assign part of the frequency band such as the United Kingdom and a number of European countries. The CRA's approach is based on the investment of the full bandwidth (1200 MHz) in order to increase the Wi-Fi capacity and enhance the experience of the consumers in Qatar, to keep pace with the telecom infrastructure that is ready to accommodate this new technology, as the optical fiber network covers around 99% of Qatar's households and this percentage is one of the highest worldwide.
Stakeholders and interested parties can email their views and comments about the public consultation to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., before Thursday, April 8, 2021. The public consultation is available here.
