Panama 6 GHz Band: ASEP Opens Public Forum

Panama's ASEP Opens Public Forum on the Future of the 6 GHz Band

Panama's telecommunications regulator, the Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Públicos (ASEP), has opened a public forum to decide how one of the most contested slices of mid-band spectrum should be used. Through notice ANAT-021-26, dated June 9, 2026, ASEP launched Public Forum No. 01-26 to gather opinions and comments on the use of the 6 GHz frequency band (5925-7125 MHz). For manufacturers, importers, and OEM compliance teams, this forum is the moment that will shape how Wi-Fi and wireless equipment is certified and approved for the Panamanian market in the years ahead.

This is a consultative step, not a final rule. No certification requirement changes the day the forum opens. But the band's eventual designation, unlicensed Wi-Fi, licensed mobile, or a split of the two, will determine which technical standards, power limits, and approval pathways apply to 6 GHz products in Panama.

Regulatory context: a decision Panama deliberately deferred

The 6 GHz question is not new to ASEP. In 2024, the regulator ran a public consultation on modifications to the National Frequency Allocation Plan (Plan Nacional de Atribución de Frecuencias, or PNAF), which included a proposal to designate the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use restricted to indoor environments.

In September 2025, ASEP issued Resolution No. 20335-Telco, which approved adding 490 MHz of new spectrum for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) 190 MHz in the 2.5 GHz band (2500-2690 MHz) and 300 MHz in the 3.3-3.6 GHz range, to support 5G deployment. Notably, the regulator chose not to modify the 6 GHz attribution at that time, instead deferring the decision to a fresh consultation process.

Public Forum No. 01-26 is the follow-through on that deferral. Rather than imposing a designation, ASEP is asking the industry to weigh in before it commits the band to a long-term use.

Technical scope: why the 6 GHz band is contested

The full 6 GHz band spans 1,200 MHz of spectrum (5925-7125 MHz), and the global debate splits it into two segments with very different trajectories:

• Lower 6 GHz (5925-6425 MHz): Increasingly designated worldwide for license exempt use, powering Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. Many administrations have authorized this segment for indoor or low-power operation.

• Upper 6 GHz (6425-7125 MHz): The genuinely contested portion. The ITU's World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) identified parts of this range for IMT in certain regions, and mobile operators are pressing for licensed 5G/6G access, while the Wi-Fi ecosystem argues for full unlicensed release.

  
  

The forum invites stakeholders to tell ASEP how Panama should treat each of these segments a choice with direct downstream consequences for equipment certification.

What this means for manufacturers

For the Panama 6 GHz band, three broad outcomes are on the table, and each carries a different compliance profile for product makers:

1. Full unlicensed release (lower + upper): Aligns Panama with the Wi-Fi-first markets. 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E/7 devices would follow a registration/type-approval path similar to existing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz unlicensed equipment, with defined indoor and power constraints.

2. Split designation (lower unlicensed, upper for IMT): The "balanced" model favored by the mobile industry. Wi-Fi products would be limited to the lower segment, while upper-band devices would need to meet licensed mobile/IMT technical conditions — a more complex certification matrix.

3. Status quo or continued delay: If ASEP defers again, the 6 GHz band remains unavailable for general unlicensed use, and manufacturers cannot rely on Panamanian approval for full-band 6 GHz products.

   
   

The practical takeaway: companies shipping Wi-Fi 6E/7 routers, access points, laptops, smartphones, and IoT devices should treat Panama's 6 GHz status as unsettled and plan certification roadmaps around more than one scenario.

Certification impact summary

Area	Current status	Potential impact of the forum outcome
6 GHz unlicensed (Wi-Fi 6E/7) devices	Not generally designated for license-exempt use pending ASEP decision	Could open a registration/type-approval path for indoor/low-power 6 GHz devices
Upper 6 GHz (6425-7125 MHz) equipment	Undecided; IMT vs. Wi-Fi contested	May require licensed mobile technical conditions instead of unlicensed rules
Power limits & indoor/outdoor rules	To be defined	New EIRP and operating constraints likely to follow the chosen model
Equipment registration & canon (fees)	Existing framework for 2.4/5 GHz bands	New band may extend existing registration and fee obligations
Market access timing	No 6 GHz-specific pathway confirmed	Certainty arrives only after ASEP formalizes the band's use

Timeline and required actions

1. Now — June 2026: ASEP publishes notice ANAT-021-26 opening Public Forum No. 01-26 on the 6 GHz band (5925-7125 MHz). Confirm the participation window and submission deadline directly from the official notice.

2. During the forum window: Prepare and submit written positions if your product lines depend on 6 GHz access. Coordinate with regional industry bodies (Wi-Fi and mobile alliances are both active in Latin American 6 GHz proceedings).

3. Internal review: Audit your 6 GHz product roadmap against all three outcome scenarios and flag any SKUs whose Panama market access depends on a specific designation.

4. Post-forum: Monitor ASEP for the resolution that follows the forum. The binding technical conditions — bands, power limits, indoor/outdoor rules, and registration requirements — will be set there, not in the forum itself.

5. Pre-launch: Do not assume full-band 6 GHz approval in Panama until ASEP formalizes the designation in the PNAF. Build certification timelines accordingly.