A new study commissioned by WiFiForward and authored by Telecom Advisory Services reveals that the economic value of Wi-Fi in the United States is projected to increase from $1.3 trillion in 2023 to $2.4 trillion by 2027. To meet this growing demand, the study emphasizes the need for more unlicensed spectrum, particularly in the 7 GHz band.
Unlike traditional market value estimates of around $300 billion, this study evaluates broader economic benefits, including consumer savings, producer surplus, and contributions to GDP. Dr. Raul Katz and his team estimate that by 2027, Wi-Fi 7 alone will generate approximately $836 billion, while combined with Wi-Fi 6E, these technologies will account for over half of the projected $2.4 trillion value in the U.S.
The report also assesses the impact of the FCC’s April 2020 decision to open the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi, which is expected to contribute around $870 billion in economic value for 2023 and 2024, rising to $1.2 trillion by 2027.
To further support this growth, the study recommends opening the 7125-7250 MHz band under the FCC’s existing 6 GHz rules, which would add an additional 320 MHz channel and is projected to contribute nearly $28 billion in economic value by 2027. Additionally, it suggests opening the 7250-7625 MHz band to create a fifth 320 MHz channel, potentially generating almost $52 billion from 2025 to 2027. This would facilitate future Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 8 speeds of up to 10 Gbps, comparable to fiber-based networks.
The study calls for further analysis of the upper 7 GHz band (above 7625 MHz), though it acknowledges that freeing this portion may be more complicated due to existing users.
With Wi-Fi’s economic value poised to reach unprecedented levels, the message for regulators is clear: more spectrum is essential for sustaining Wi-Fi’s growth.
Wi-Fi 7 utilizes the same three bands as Wi-Fi 6E: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz, but it doubles the channel size of the 6 GHz band from 160 MHz to 320 MHz. This enhancement allows a typical Wi-Fi 7 laptop to achieve a potential maximum speed of 5.8 Gbps—2.4 times faster than the 2.4 Gbps available with Wi-Fi 6/6E, according to Intel. Wi-Fi 7 also reduces latency by seven times and extends coverage by an average of 25%.
In Nigeria, the Nigeria Communications Commission has announced plans to transition to the 6 GHz spectrum band under Wi-Fi 6 applications, citing increased demand for capacity. This move aligns Nigeria with other African countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Zambia, where Wi-Fi 6 is already in use.
