Interference Analysis of WLAN and 5G Coexisting with Fixed Satellite Services in the 6 GHz Band

Due to the increasing demand for spectrum to support unlicensed technologies, the 6 GHz band was opened for unlicensed use in the United States in 2020. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) are already operating in this band and the upcoming 5G New-Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) will enter the market within the next few years. These technologies will need to coexist with the primary users, such as fixed-satellite service (FSS) uplinks. In this paper, we present simulations of aggregate interference from WLAN and 5G devices within the contiguous United States to FSS uplinks in the 6 GHz band. We conduct a novel sensitivity analysis to quantify the impact of different WLAN, 5G, and demographic parameters on the aggregate interference. We simulate a wide range of parameter values, from the ones considered by incumbents to those proposed by advocates of unlicensed technologies. In addition, we estimate the aggregate interference in 2030 based on realistic projections. This analysis can be replicated in other countries, many of which are still evaluating opening this band, in whole or part, for unlicensed use.