Spectrum Showdown: The UN’s World Radiocommunication Conference Means and the Future of Wi-Fi

SPEAKERS David Redl, CEO, Salt Point Strategies Ambassador Steve Lang, Crest Hill Advisors Mary L. Brown, Executive Director, WifiForward Evan Swarztrauber, Principal, CorePoint Strategies Anne Keeney Weaver, Executive Vice President, Glen Echo Group (moderator) This briefing will be on the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) - a major international convening of the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union that will shape global spectrum policy for years to come. With the next WRC taking place in Shanghai, policymakers face growing geopolitical and economic stakes, including competing visions between the United States and China over key spectrum bands that underpin the modern internet. This briefing will provide a practical, non-technical overview of the WRC process, the major issues under debate—including the future of the 6 GHz band—and what these global decisions mean for U.S. innovation, connectivity, and competitiveness. The World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC)—held under the auspices of the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union—is one of the most consequential global forums for setting spectrum policy. Decisions made at WRC directly influence how wireless technologies evolve, how devices are built, and how nations compete in global telecommunications markets. As preparations intensify for the upcoming conference in Shanghai, key debates are emerging with significant implications for the United States. Among them: competing international approaches to the 6 GHz band, where U.S.-led Wi-Fi innovation faces pressure from alternative models centered on licensed cellular use. These choices will shape not only global hardware markets, but also the everyday internet experience for American consumers—where Wi-Fi continues to carry the vast majority of traffic. At the same time, broader geopolitical dynamics are increasingly central to WRC outcomes. Countries are actively aligning around different spectrum strategies, raising questions about U.S. leadership, preparedness, and long-term competitiveness in a rapidly evolving international environment.