New Wi-Fi rules from 10 November: will my router change?

Written by (LinkedIn) • Reviewed by Adrian James (LinkedIn)

Last reviewed: 4 November 2026

Quick summary: Ofcom's new 6 GHz Wi-Fi rules start on 10 November 2026. What changes, why your router won't change overnight, and what to check before you buy.

New Wi-Fi rules from 10 November
Illustration: New Wi-Fi rules from 10 November: will my router change

New Wi-Fi rules start on 10 November. Here's what changes, and why your router won't notice on the day

Will my router change on 10 November? Not on the day. From 10 November 2026, new rules let low power Wi-Fi use 160 MHz more of the 6 GHz band, about a third more room, and allow higher-power Wi-Fi once Ofcom registers a coordination service. Only Wi-Fi 6E and 6 GHz Wi-Fi 7 kit can use the band, and it's likely to need a software update before it can use the new channels. Your broadband speed won't change. Check whether your router has 6 GHz, keep updates on, and don't buy a new one just for this.

What it means for youChecked 4 November 2026

If your router is Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 or dual-band Wi-Fi 7: nothing changes for you. Your router has no 6 GHz radio, so it carries on exactly as before, and that's fine.

If you have a Wi-Fi 6E router, or a Wi-Fi 7 router with 6 GHz: you could get more clean channels later, once your router and your devices get updates that know the new UK range. Keep automatic updates switched on.

If you're thinking of buying a router this Black Friday: check that 6 GHz is named in the specification, ask whether it will support the new UK channels, and look for its published security update period.

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Key facts, verified 4 November 2026

  • Two sets of Wi-Fi regulations come into force on Tuesday 10 November 2026, both made on 27 October 2026 (legislation.gov.uk, 27 October 2026).
  • Low power Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band grows from 5925 to 6425 MHz to 5925 to 6585 MHz, an extra 160 MHz, through Ofcom's updated IR 2030 rulebook (Ofcom IR 2030, October 2026; Wi-Fi NOW, 1 November 2026).
  • The lower 6 GHz band, 5925 to 6425 MHz, has been open to Wi-Fi in the UK since Ofcom's statement of 24 July 2020 (Ofcom, 24 July 2020).
  • Higher-power standard power Wi-Fi across 5925 to 7125 MHz becomes licence-exempt, but only under an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system run by an organisation Ofcom has registered (legislation.gov.uk, 27 October 2026).
  • A standard power access point can transmit up to 36 dBm EIRP, about 4 watts, on channels up to 320 MHz wide, from a fixed location (legislation.gov.uk, 27 October 2026).
  • Ofcom's AFC pages listed no registered AFC provider when we checked (Ofcom, checked 4 November 2026).
  • The top 540 MHz of the band, 6585 to 7125 MHz, is prioritised for mobile networks, and Wi-Fi can use it only under AFC control (Ofcom, 20 July 2026).
  • EE's Smart Hub 7 Pro, Sky's Gigafast+ Hub and Vodafone's UltraHub have 6 GHz; EE's Smart Hub 7 Plus and Vodafone's Ultra Hub 7 are Wi-Fi 7 but dual-band (EE, Sky and Vodafone, checked 4 November 2026).
  • EU spectrum advisers have agreed to keep 6425 to 6585 MHz as a guard band until the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference, and to decide its use after that (Radio Spectrum Policy Group, 12 November 2025).
  • Makers of connectable products sold in the UK, routers included, must publish a defined support period for security updates (PSTI regulations, in force 29 April 2024).

Who this is for: anyone who has seen a headline about new Wi-Fi rules and wondered whether their router will change; anyone with a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router wondering what they'll get; and anyone weighing up a new router before Black Friday. It covers the hubs UK providers supply and the routers you buy yourself. We'll follow Sam, an example built from the calls we take, not a real customer. Sam lives in a second-floor flat with a provider hub, a Wi-Fi 6E laptop and two Wi-Fi 6 phones, and wants to know whether to buy a Wi-Fi 7 router this month.

What is changing with Wi-Fi on 10 November 2026?

Direct answer: Two sets of regulations take effect. Low power Wi-Fi gets 160 MHz more of the 6 GHz band, from 6425 to 6585 MHz. And higher-power Wi-Fi becomes legal across the whole band, but only under a coordination system that Ofcom hasn't yet listed anyone to run.

The first change works through Ofcom's technical rulebook for short-range devices, called IR 2030. The new SI 2026/1133 points the law at the October 2026 version of that rulebook, which is where the new 6425 to 6585 MHz range sits.

The second, SI 2026/1132, is new. It lets higher-power Wi-Fi access points use 5925 to 7125 MHz without a licence, as long as an automated frequency coordination system tells each one which channels and power it may use.

Ofcom confirmed the final rules on 30 October, Wi-Fi NOW reported. For you, the practical meaning is simple: more room for the newest Wi-Fi kit, once that kit has been updated to use it.

Will my router change overnight?

Direct answer: No. Nothing you own is switched off or slowed down, and nothing gains the new channels by itself. To use them, you need a 6 GHz router, a 6 GHz phone or laptop, and software on both that knows the new UK range.

Every Wi-Fi product carries a list of the channels it may use in each country, set in its firmware. UK kit made before the change was built for 5925 to 6425 MHz, so it keeps to that range until its maker or your provider updates it.

When we checked on 4 November 2026, we couldn't find an announcement from a UK broadband provider or a major router maker about updates for the new channels. We'll add them to this page as they appear.

Sam's provider hub turned out to be dual-band, so for Sam nothing changes at all. The same is true for every Wi-Fi 4, 5 and 6 router, and for dual-band Wi-Fi 7 hubs such as EE's Smart Hub 7 Plus.

What is the 6 GHz band, and who can already use it?

Direct answer: It's the newest of the three Wi-Fi bands, alongside 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In the UK, Wi-Fi has been allowed to use 5925 to 6425 MHz since 2020, and only Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 devices with a 6 GHz radio can reach it.

Ofcom opened the lower 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi in its statement of 24 July 2020, with indoor use up to 250 mW and outdoor use up to 25 mW. The Wi-Fi Alliance calls Wi-Fi 6 kit that can use the band Wi-Fi 6E.

6 GHz is quick and uncluttered because fewer devices use it, and because its signal fades through walls. That short range cuts both ways: it keeps your neighbours' networks out, but it also means you get the best from it in the same room as the router or the next one.

If you'd like to know which band suits each of your devices, our guide to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz has a device-by-device list, and Wi-Fi generations explained walks you through every standard from Wi-Fi 1 to Wi-Fi 8.

What exactly are the new 160 MHz, and why stop at 6585 MHz?

Direct answer: The new block runs from 6425 to 6585 MHz, taking low power Wi-Fi from 500 MHz to 660 MHz of the band, about a third more. Ofcom stopped there because it is keeping 6585 to 7125 MHz mainly for future mobile networks.

In July 2026 Ofcom split the upper 6 GHz band in two: a Wi-Fi priority portion in the lower 160 MHz, 6425 to 6585 MHz, and a mobile priority portion in the upper 540 MHz, 6585 to 7125 MHz.

Ofcom said the Wi-Fi portion is available on the same licence-exempt basis as the lower 6 GHz band, including low power indoor and very low power use. In the mobile portion, Wi-Fi is allowed only under the control of an AFC system.

Why 160 MHz matters comes down to channel sizes. Wi-Fi 7 can use channels up to 320 MHz wide. Of the UK's 660 MHz, the 640 MHz from 5945 to 6585 MHz follows the standard grid that wide channels are built from; the first 20 MHz holds one narrow channel.

On the IEEE channel plan, that adds a fourth 160 MHz channel, number 111, and makes a second 320 MHz channel that doesn't overlap the first, number 95, possible. That's our own arithmetic from the standard channel table, and your router still chooses its own channels.

More channels matter most if you live where lots of 6 GHz networks sit close together, like a block of flats. In a detached house with no 6 GHz neighbours, you're less likely to notice a difference.

What do low power indoor, very low power and standard power mean?

Direct answer: They're the three ways Wi-Fi can use 6 GHz. Low power indoor is what home routers use. Very low power is for portable gadgets, indoors or out. Standard power is higher-power Wi-Fi from fixed access points, and it needs AFC.

From 10 November, low power indoor and very low power devices can use 5925 to 6585 MHz without any coordination. Your home router is a low power indoor device, so on 6 GHz it's meant to stay indoors.

Standard power is the bigger change in law. A standard power access point can transmit up to 36 dBm EIRP, about 4 watts, on channels up to 320 MHz wide, but only from a fixed location and only with permission from an AFC system.

We haven't seen a UK provider announce standard power for home hubs. It's built for fixed access points that know exactly where they are, which suits venues, offices and outdoor spaces better than a hub on your windowsill.

What is AFC, and why can't anyone use standard power yet?

Direct answer: AFC, automated frequency coordination, is a database service that tells each standard power access point which channels and power it may use where it is. The law needs it run by an Ofcom-registered provider, and none was listed when we checked.

Ofcom says organisations that want to run AFC must apply to and register with Ofcom before offering the service, and that it will keep a register of approved providers. It planned to invite applications from 1 September 2026.

When we checked Ofcom's AFC pages on 4 November 2026, no registered provider was listed. GMA Labs, a product compliance firm that tracks the rules, lists the first registrations as "To be confirmed".

The regulations build in safety checks. An access point must check in with its AFC system each time it's switched on, and again whenever 24 hours have passed since it last got its settings. If it can't reach the system, it may carry on for one more 24 hours, then it must stop.

Ofcom also says AFC can be used to restrict Wi-Fi in 6585 to 7125 MHz where future mobile services are deployed in high-density areas. So in the upper band, standard power Wi-Fi may be dialled back where mobile networks move in.

Which UK broadband hubs have 6 GHz?

Direct answer: Fewer than the Wi-Fi 7 label suggests. Of the hubs we checked, EE's Smart Hub 7 Pro, Sky's Gigafast+ Hub and Vodafone's Wi-Fi 6E UltraHub have 6 GHz. EE's Smart Hub 7 Plus and Vodafone's Ultra Hub 7 are Wi-Fi 7 but dual-band.

The lesson for you: "Wi-Fi 7" on the box doesn't guarantee 6 GHz. EE lists the Smart Hub 7 Plus as having "Dual-band technology", while its hub comparison lists the Smart Hub 7 Pro as "Tri band", with 6 GHz as its third band.

Vodafone's own figures show the same pattern: its Ultra Hub 7 is "Dual Band Wi-Fi 7 (2.4 + 5 GHz bands)", while its UltraHub is "Tri Band Wi-Fi 6E (2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz bands)". So a Wi-Fi 6E hub can get more from 10 November than a Wi-Fi 7 hub without 6 GHz.

Tri-band doesn't always mean 6 GHz either, because some routers pair 2.4 GHz with two 5 GHz radios. Look for 6 GHz named in the specification, or a 6 GHz network listed in your router's app.

If your hub has no 6 GHz and you'd like it, ask your provider whether an upgrade comes with your plan. Sky says all Full Fibre Gigafast+ customers get the Gigafast+ Hub, and EE says its Smart Hub 7 Pro comes with 1.6Gbps speeds and the Ultimate plan. Our guide to routers by provider covers your right to use your own.

6 GHz has the shortest reach, so placement matters

Where your router sits makes more difference to 6 GHz than to any other band. RouterMap, our free tool, shows you the best spot for your router in your home.

Try RouterMap free →

Will my Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router get an update?

Direct answer: Possibly, but nobody has promised one yet. When we checked on 4 November 2026, we found no announcement from a UK provider or a major router maker. Provider hubs get their software from your provider, so ask yours.

Updates will need to reach both ends of your connection. Your router needs new channel settings, and so do your phone, laptop or console, through their own system and driver updates.

If you bought your router yourself, turn on automatic updates in its app, or check the maker's release notes from 10 November for new 6 GHz channels or the 6425 to 6585 MHz range. If you rent a hub from your provider, leave it switched on so updates can reach it.

Please don't try to get the new channels early by changing your router's country setting. It isn't supported, and it could leave your kit using settings that aren't allowed in the UK.

Will this make my broadband faster?

Direct answer: No. Your broadband speed is set by your line and your package. More Wi-Fi channels can help your devices get closer to that speed in a busy home, but they can't push past it.

Think of your line as the pipe into your home and Wi-Fi as the taps. Wider taps help when everyone runs water at once, but they can't add water the pipe doesn't carry.

So test your line first. Our speed test measures your download speed, and our guide to testing whether it's your line or your Wi-Fi shows you how to compare a wired result with a wireless one.

Sam's package is 150 Mbps. A new Wi-Fi 7 router couldn't make it any faster than that, but a faster package or full fibre at Sam's address could. Our guide to why your broadband or Wi-Fi is slow covers the other usual causes.

Who benefits most: flats, big houses, gamers or home workers?

Direct answer: People in flats and terraces with 6 GHz kit stand to gain most, because more neighbouring networks can sit on separate channels. In big houses, placement and mesh matter more. For gaming and work calls, a cable still beats any Wi-Fi.

If you're in a big house, our guide to mesh Wi-Fi and extenders will help you more than any spectrum change. Our best router position guide shows you where to put the hub you already have.

How does the UK compare with the EU and the US?

Direct answer: The UK now sits between them. From 10 November, UK low power Wi-Fi can use 660 MHz of the 6 GHz band. The EU allows 480 MHz, and its spectrum advisers want the next 160 MHz kept as a guard band for now, while the US opened 1200 MHz in 2020.

In April 2020 the FCC opened the entire 6 GHz band, 5.925 to 7.125 GHz, to unlicensed indoor low power access points. That's 1200 MHz, room for three 320 MHz channels side by side.

In Europe, the Radio Spectrum Policy Group agreed in November 2025 to prioritise 6585 to 7125 MHz for mobile, and to use 6425 to 6585 MHz as a guard band protecting Wi-Fi in the lower band until the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference. It intends to decide on that 160 MHz afterwards.

So the UK has moved ahead of the EU on that 160 MHz. For you, it means UK settings will differ from EU ones, which is one more reason to buy a UK model and check what its maker says about the new channels.

Should I buy a Wi-Fi 7 router this Black Friday?

Direct answer: Only if you'd buy one anyway. Black Friday is 27 November 2026. If you do buy, choose a model with 6 GHz named, ask whether it will support the new UK channels, and look for its published security update period before you pay.

Under the UK's product security rules, the defined support period must be published. It's the minimum length of time, with an end date, for which security updates will be provided, so you can compare routers on it.

Our guide to router security and the PSTI law explains what your provider must do. Before you replace a provider hub, check what happens to any phone line that runs through it: our guide can I keep my router? covers that.

Sam decided to wait. Sam's phones are Wi-Fi 6, so a new router's 6 GHz band would only help the laptop, and the line was the real limit. If you're shopping anyway, our Black Friday broadband guide shows you how to judge any offer.

What should I do now?

Direct answer: Nothing urgent. Check whether your router and devices have 6 GHz, keep automatic updates switched on, and test your line before you spend money. If your line is the bottleneck, a faster package will help more than any new rule.

Today: check your kit

Look for 6 GHz in your router's app, and on your phone or laptop's specification.

This month: keep updates on

Leave your hub switched on, and turn on automatic updates for any router you own.

Before you buy: run the checks

6 GHz named, a UK model, support for the new channels and a published support period.

Later: watch for AFC and updates

We'll update this page when Ofcom registers the first AFC provider and makers release updates.

Ready to see what your line could do?

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In summary

  • From 10 November 2026, low power Wi-Fi can use 5925 to 6585 MHz, 160 MHz more than before, about a third more room.
  • Higher-power standard power Wi-Fi becomes legal across 5925 to 7125 MHz, but only under an Ofcom-registered AFC system, and none was listed on 4 November.
  • Only Wi-Fi 6E and 6 GHz Wi-Fi 7 kit can use the band, and both your router and your devices are likely to need updates before they can use the new channels.
  • "Wi-Fi 7" doesn't guarantee 6 GHz: EE's Smart Hub 7 Plus and Vodafone's Ultra Hub 7 are dual-band, while EE's Smart Hub 7 Pro, Sky's Gigafast+ Hub and Vodafone's UltraHub have 6 GHz.
  • Your broadband speed won't change, so test your line before you spend money on a router.

Alex's closing thought

I like a change like this, because it gives the newest Wi-Fi more room to breathe, and the UK has moved faster than Europe to do it. But it isn't a reason to rush out and buy anything. Plenty of routers won't notice 10 November at all, and the ones that can benefit are likely to need an update first. If your Wi-Fi feels slow, start with the simple things: where the router sits, which band each device uses, and what your line delivers. And if it turns out your line is the problem, ring us. We'll find what's available at your address.

Keep going: more on Wi-Fi and your router

Know someone wondering about the new Wi-Fi rules?

Send them this. It explains what changes on 10 November, which routers can use it, and what to check before buying one.

Cite this page

You're welcome to quote or link to this guide. Please credit BroadbandSwitch.uk and link to this page.

In a sentence: From 10 November 2026, UK low power Wi-Fi can use 5925 to 6585 MHz of the 6 GHz band, 160 MHz more than before, but only Wi-Fi 6E and 6 GHz Wi-Fi 7 kit can use the new channels, likely after a firmware update, and higher-power standard power Wi-Fi must wait for Ofcom to register an AFC provider.

Martin-Smith, A. J. (2026, November 4). New Wi-Fi rules from 10 November: will my router change? BroadbandSwitch.uk. https://broadbandswitch.uk/insights/ofcom-6ghz-wifi-10-november-2026/

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to do anything on 10 November?

No. Nothing is switched off and no settings change on the day. If you have Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 kit with 6 GHz, keep automatic updates on so you get the new channels when your maker or provider adds them.

Will my old Wi-Fi devices stop working?

No. The change adds spectrum and takes none away, so 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, and the 6 GHz channels already in use, carry on as before.

How do I know if my router has 6 GHz?

Look in the router's app or specification for a 6 GHz band or a 6 GHz network name. Wi-Fi 6E routers have it. "Wi-Fi 7" or "tri-band" on its own isn't proof, because some models are dual-band or use two 5 GHz radios.

Does the EE Smart Hub 7 Plus have 6 GHz?

No. EE lists the Smart Hub 7 Plus as Wi-Fi 7 but dual-band, with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. EE's Smart Hub 7 Pro is the tri-band model with 6 GHz.

Does the Sky Gigafast+ Hub have 6 GHz?

Yes. Sky says the Gigafast+ Hub has tri-band Wi-Fi, 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz, and that all Full Fibre Gigafast+ customers get it.

Will BT's Smart Hub 3 get the new channels?

No. BT lists the Smart Hub 3 as dual-band Wi-Fi 6, so it has no 6 GHz radio and the change doesn't affect it.

What is standard power Wi-Fi?

Higher-power 6 GHz Wi-Fi from fixed access points that know their location, up to 36 dBm EIRP, about 4 watts, indoors or outdoors. It's licence-exempt from 10 November 2026, but only under an Ofcom-registered AFC system.

Can I use 6 GHz Wi-Fi outdoors in the UK?

Very low power devices can use 6 GHz outdoors as portable kit, including the new block, but not as a fixed outdoor installation. A normal home router is a low power indoor device, so its 6 GHz band is for indoor use. Outdoor standard power access points need an AFC system, and Ofcom listed no AFC provider when we checked on 4 November 2026.

Do the new rules apply in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man?

The standard power regulations say they don't extend to the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. The low power change has no such line, but check with the local regulator before relying on either there.

Why doesn't the UK open the whole 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi like the US?

Ofcom decided in July 2026 to prioritise 6585 to 7125 MHz for future mobile networks, with Wi-Fi allowed there only under AFC control. EU spectrum advisers have also prioritised that part of the band for mobile.

Will 6 GHz make my Wi-Fi reach further?

No. 6 GHz has the shortest range of the three bands and fades through walls. For coverage, a better router position or mesh Wi-Fi helps far more.

Do I need Windows 11 for 6 GHz Wi-Fi?

Yes, on a Windows PC. Netgear's support pages say Windows 10 can't use 6 GHz Wi-Fi and you need Windows 11, along with a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 adapter.

References

Written by Dr Alex J. Martin-Smith, Founder of BroadbandSwitch.uk (LinkedIn). Reviewed by Adrian James, Broadband Editor at BroadbandSwitch.uk (LinkedIn). Published 4 November 2026. Sam is an example built from the calls we take, not a real customer. We'll update this page when Ofcom registers the first AFC provider and when UK providers or router makers announce updates for the new channels. BroadbandSwitch.uk is an independent comparison site and is not a broadband provider. This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Corrections are logged publicly.

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