China Mobile Hong Kong trials Upper 6GHz band for future networks

China Mobile Hong Kong, the Hong Kong telecom unit of China Mobile, has tested an Upper 6GHz mobile network at its Mong Kok flagship store. This marks an early step towards utilizing the band for the city's next-generation mobile services.

The spectrum for public mobile services was auctioned in Hong Kong on November 29, 2024. China Mobile Hong Kong announced it acquired 100MHz of contiguous spectrum. The company can combine this with its existing holdings to enhance network capacity, benefiting data-intensive applications such as high-definition video and AI-connected devices.

This trial occurs as the 6GHz band gains attention for mobile broadband capacity. Concurrently, 3GPP, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, has finalized specifications for licensed Upper 6GHz 5G, with band n104 validated for 5G-Advanced.

Hong Kong's move also comes amidst diverging spectrum policies. The United States, for example, has allocated 1,200MHz of the 6GHz band for unlicensed Wi-Fi rather than licensed mobile services.