By publishing an agreement, the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) of Mexico has granted WAS/RLAN systems full use of the 5925-6425 MHz band, an important step towards faster and more efficient wireless communication. The move classifies the band as free spectrum and offers an opportunity to improve connectivity across the country.
As part of the agreement, the IFT laid down technical operating conditions for systems operating in free spectrum mode, in particular low power and very low power systems. To ensure the best performance, low power WAS/RLAN systems must meet specific technical operating conditions.
These requirements include:
In addition, to ensure compliance and the best performance, low power WAS/RLAN systems operating in the 5925-6425 MHz band in free spectrum mode must comply with the following conditions:
They may operate indoors only, not outdoors.
They must have an integrated, non-detachable antenna and must not be connected to an external antenna.
The maximum channel bandwidth permitted is 320 MHz, to prevent interference with other systems.
They may not be used on unmanned aircraft systems, ships, oil platforms, cars, trains or aircraft, unless operated inside large aircraft flying above 10,000 feet.
Access points must not be resistant to severe weather conditions and must run on mains-connected power supplies rather than batteries.
In addition, very low power WAS/RLAN systems must comply with the following technical operating conditions to ensure conformity:
Moreover, very low power WAS/RLAN systems operating in the 5925-6425 MHz band in free spectrum mode must comply with the following conditions:
They may not be used for communications of unmanned aircraft systems, to prevent potential interference with other systems.
The agreement setting out these technical operating conditions was officially published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on 7 March 2023 and became mandatory from 8 March 2023.