Legalization of the Wi-Fi 6E standard in Russia has slowed down

Manufacturers and sellers of electronics are trying to achieve full implementation of the Wi-Fi 6E standard in the Russian Federation. The State Commission on Radio Frequencies (SCRF) allocated a range for it a year ago, but the document regarding the registration of equipment was not brought into line with its decision. This prevents many devices from fully functioning in the country and may complicate the spread of Wi-Fi 7. The problem manifests itself not only in the legal field: Wi-Fi devices determine where they are and adapt to the norms. Experts, however, believe that manufacturers who have left Russia may refuse to update the settings even when the standard is finalized.

The Russian Association of Trading Companies and Manufacturers of Electrical Household and Computer Equipment (RATEK; it includes Samsung, DNS, Huawei, etc.) asked the Ministry of Digital Development to initiate an update of the list of radio-electronic equipment subject to registration, according to a letter dated January 25, available to Kommersant. . We are talking about regulations regarding the use of Wi-Fi wireless communications in the 6 GHz band. SCRF allocated the lower part of the band (5.9–6.4 GHz range) for Wi-Fi 6E communications in premises more than a year ago (see “Kommersant” dated December 27, 2022). But the range is still not classified as an exception, that is, owners of such devices are formally required to register them with Roskomnadzor.

The list of devices subject to registration has not changed since March 2022. RATEK proposes to supplement the clause that excludes the use of bands for home Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz band from the requirement by adding the 5.9–6.4 GHz range. “The market expects that the legal unsettlement will be resolved, and the list will be brought into line with the decision of the SCRF,” RATEK representative Anton Guskov explained to Kommersant. The Ministry of Digital Development did not respond to Kommersant’s request to receive the letter.

Due to “peculiarities of legislative regulation,” a number of Xiaomi, Mikrotik and Zyxel routers, which technically support operation in the 6 GHz band, do not use it in the Russian Federation, explains Nikita Korneev, leading engineer of the Smart Home department of Marvel Distribution. “This also applies to Apple technology: modern MacBook laptops have Wi-Fi 6E technology, but whether it can be used or not depends on the region,” he says.

Laptops, phones and other devices with Wi-Fi determine their location based on a number of characteristics, explains a Kommersant source responsible for the network infrastructure of a large company. “This could be both operating system settings and information received from surrounding wireless access points,” he notes. The list of Wi-Fi channels allowed in a particular country is usually included in the adapter driver. After the use of Wi-Fi 6 was allowed in Russia in 2020, the American Intel (which produces Wi-Fi adapters for laptops and PCs) updated the lists along with a new version of the driver. After Intel left the Russian Federation in 2022, the company blocked access to updates from the country.

Mr. Korneev believes that after changes in the acts, “all equipment that supports Wi-Fi 6E can operate at the new frequency.” But TelecomDaily CEO Denis Kuskov believes that vendors who have left the Russian Federation may not update the parameters. “If previously these companies sought to ensure that their equipment was legally clean in the Russian Federation, and monitored changes themselves, now they have no reason to do this,” he says.

Yuri Litvinenko