Costa Rica Opens 6 GHz Band for Outdoor FWA; Tarana Demonstrates 1 Gbps Service

Costa Rica regulator enables outdoor fixed wireless at 1 Gbps on 6 GHz

Costa Rica's telecommunications regulator SUTEL published two resolutions in June 2026 that open the 6 GHz band for outdoor, standard-power fixed wireless access deployments. Tarana Wireless and Costa Rican ISP Itellum demonstrated live 1 Gbps throughput using Tarana's G1 ngFWA platform at the 13th Latin America Broadband Conference in San José, operating under the new rules with Automated Frequency Coordination control.

The regulatory change matters because it treats 6 GHz as an outdoor broadband band rather than Wi-Fi-only spectrum. Resolution RCS-138-2026 sets homologation requirements for standard-power equipment in the band. Resolution RCS-137-2026 defines operational rules for AFC database administrators managing frequency access. Together, they establish a compliance framework that was absent under prior low-power indoor-only rules.

Why enterprises should care about 6 GHz FWA economics

The combination of 1 Gbps throughput and regulatory clarity changes the economics of branch connectivity in markets where fiber deployment is slow or expensive. Enterprises with distributed operations in Costa Rica and similar regulatory environments gain a capex-light last-mile option that reduces reliance on satellite or mobile broadband.

The cost trade-off is straightforward. Fiber builds in difficult terrain can require months of permitting and trenching. FWA on 6 GHz with AFC-controlled frequency planning eliminates construction delay and reduces upfront capital by 60-80% compared to fiber in rural deployments. The regulatory framework reduces spectrum interference risk, making 6 GHz FWA a defensible choice in procurement and risk documentation.

Tarana positions ngFWA on 6 GHz against fiber in underserved areas, conventional FWA on crowded 5 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands, and satellite broadband. Competitors include Cambium Networks, Ubiquiti, Nokia, Ericsson, and Starlink. The strategic advantage is spectral efficiency and consistent quality of service in a band with fewer legacy deployments than 5 GHz.

Compliance requirements for 6 GHz deployments

Network teams procuring 6 GHz FWA equipment must verify that hardware meets RCS-138-2026 homologation standards and integrates with a compliant AFC system per RCS-137-2026. AFC systems coordinate frequency use to prevent interference with incumbent users, which adds a layer of operational complexity not present in traditional unlicensed spectrum.

The compliance burden is higher than deploying equipment in purely unlicensed bands but lower than managing licensed spectrum. Buyers should confirm that vendors provide AFC integration, ongoing database updates, and technical support for frequency coordination. SLAs must account for AFC-driven frequency changes that could temporarily affect throughput.

Samsung and Qualcomm validate high-power 5G FWA on virtualized RAN

Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm Technologies validated Power Class 1 capability for 5G fixed wireless access on a virtualized RAN architecture. Power Class 1 designates higher transmit power than standard mobile devices, extending cell edge throughput and coverage radius for customer premises equipment.

The validation is notable because it demonstrates that virtualized RAN can support carrier-grade fixed wireless, not just mobile macro deployments. This competes directly with Nokia's anyRAN, Ericsson's vRAN, and Open RAN stacks from Mavenir and Rakuten Symphony. On the CPE side, the ecosystem includes Nokia, Inseego, Casa Systems, and ZTE.

What to watch

Monitor whether other Latin American and emerging-market regulators follow Costa Rica's model for 6 GHz outdoor broadband. If standard-power AFC-based deployments spread, 6 GHz FWA becomes a viable fiber alternative across multiple geographies, which changes capex planning for enterprises with distributed sites.

For virtualized RAN, the Samsung-Qualcomm validation suggests that operators will increasingly offer FWA on cloud-native infrastructure. Enterprises buying wholesale 5G or carrier-provided fixed wireless should confirm whether the underlying RAN is virtualized and whether that affects SLA terms, failover behavior, or upgrade cycles. The shift from purpose-built to virtualized baseband creates procurement leverage but also introduces dependency on the operator's cloud operations maturity.