U.S. Pushes 6 GHz Wi-Fi Strategy Against China

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2026 – Global spectrum negotiations in 2027 could determine whether countries build future wireless networks around American Wi-Fi technology or Chinese telecom infrastructure tied to Huawei.

Telecom officials and industry experts warned Monday that the fight over the 6 GigaHertz (GHz) band has become a broader geopolitical contest between U.S. Wi-Fi systems and Chinese-backed cellular infrastructure, during a briefing hosted by the Internet Education Foundation.

“The United States sits at one end of this and says the 6 GHz band should be fully unlicensed and used for Wi-Fi,” said David Redl , founder of Salt Point Strategies and former administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. “China, on the other hand, is pushing for there to be no Wi-Fi in 6 gigahertz at all.”

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