The advancement of Wi-Fi technology has forced authorities to set new standard as well as opening more frequency allocation. This becomes something inevitable for most countries in the world, especially if they want to catch up with the new update in the field of information and technology.
In South East Asia for example, we can see more countries are opening new HIPERLANs and RLANs allocations. Just take a look at Malaysia, Singapore, or Thailand. And just recently, the Philippines has opened new allocation for HIPERLANs and RLANs too. With the new allocation, this means that now the country allows latest Wi-Fi technology such as Wi-Fi 6 and even 6E, which is also part of HIPERLANs and RLANs technology.
Read also: Guide to Philippines NTC Approval
What’s Wi-Fi 6E?
Wi-Fi 6E is the new generation of Wi-Fi that brings many advancements as well as improvement from the previous versions. This new technology is commonly known as IEEE 802.11ax, an upgraded version from the IEEE 802.11ac. In terms of frequency operation, the sixth version of Wi-Fi still operates within the similar frequency range, which is 2.4 GHz and 5GHz. However, for the higher Wi-Fi 6E version, there’s an extended allocation in 6 GHz range. With wider frequency allocation, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E offers significantly higher speed with lower latency, which is great for installation in more crowded environment.
Public Hearing about HIPERLANs and RLANs Regulation Amendment
Back to the new allocation of Wi-Fi 6 and 6E in the Philippine, it was started on May 23rd this year. At that time, the National Telecommunication Commission of the Republic of the Philippine (NTC) issued public hearing entitled “Notice of Public Hearing re: AMENDING SECTION 2 OF MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 03-05-2007”. In this public hearing session, NTC invited all parties to contribute in the Regulation Amendment event that was held in “Multipurpose Hall, 5th Floor, NTC Building. What became main focus on this Amendment event was about exploring the possibility of new frequency allocation for HIPERLANs and RLANs, where Wi-Fi technology also falls into this classification. Below were the frequency allocations considered:
| Type of SRD | Frequency Band | Power (Maximum | Remarks |
| HIPERLANs and RLANs | 2400 – 2483.5 MHz 5150 – 5350 MHz 5470 – 5850 MHz 5925 – 6425 MHz 5925 – 6425 MHz 17.1 – 17.3 GHz | 100 mW EIRP 200 mW EIRP 250 mW EIRP 25 mW EIRP 250 mW EIRP 100 mW EIRP | For Indoor and Outdoor Use For indoor use only |
Source: Draft MC on Amending Section 2 of Memorandum Circular No. 03-05-2007.pdf (ntc.gov.ph)
Result of HIPERLANs and RLANs Regulation Amendment: Memorandum Circular No. 002-07-2024
And finally, not until 2 months from the public hearing session, NTC issued Memorandum Circular No. 002-07-2024, concerning about “Amending Section 2 of Memorandum Circular No. 03-05-2007”. Main standard being set in this Memorandum circular is about operating parameters. This Memorandum circular states “the limit of the technical parameters that shall not be exceeded by any function of the equipment by any means”, which is:
| Type of SRD | Frequency Band | Power (Maximum | Remarks |
| HIPERLANs and RLANs | 2400 – 2483.5 MHz | 100 mW EIRP | |
| 5150 – 5350 MHz | 200 mW EIRP | ||
| 5470 – 5850 MHz | 250 mW EIRP | ||
| 5925 – 6425 MHz | 25 mW EIRP | For Indoor and *Outdoor *Use on unmanned aircraft systems/drones is prohibited | |
| 5925 – 6425 MHz | 250 mW EIRP | For indoor use only | |
| 17.1 – 17.3 GHz | 100 mW EIRP |
This Memorandum Circular No. 002-07-2024 was issued on July 5th 2024 and shall take effects fifteen days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation and three certified true copies the UP Law Center. Therefore, this new rule regarding HIPERLANs and RLANs will be active by July 20th 2024.
With the new allocation of HIPERLANs and RLANs frequency in the Philippines, it opens up new possibility for Manufacturer, Distributor, Importer, and other entities to market their products with recent Wi-Fi technology in the Philippines. But one thing to note: it’s not only the new Wi-Fi standard matters, but also the standardization of the product. Should you have any inquiries to certify your Wi-Fi 6E products in the Philippines’s NTC, feel free to drop us an email.
