EN 303 687 V1.2.1 published: Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7 6 GHz harmonisation

Author Hugues Orgitello Last updated 25 May 2026

News · Radio standards

ETSI published in early 2026 an updated version of EN 303 687, the European harmonised standard covering Wi-Fi equipment operating in the 6 GHz band (5945-6425 MHz). The update clarifies test methods for Wi-Fi 7 features, 320 MHz channels, Multi-Link Operation, 4096-QAM modulation, while keeping the regulatory frame on the same two operating modes: Low Power Indoor and Very Low Power. For manufacturers, the gap with the FCC framework is now confirmed: no outdoor Standard Power in Europe at this stage.

The 6 GHz band scope in Europe

Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/1067 opened the 5945-6425 MHz band, 480 MHz of spectrum, to unlicensed Wi-Fi use, complementing the legacy 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The opening flows from CEPT ECC Decision (20)01 and applies across all EU Member States.

That is half as wide as what the FCC has allocated in the United States (5925-7125 MHz, 1200 MHz). The direct consequence: in Europe, the number of fully usable 320 MHz channels for Wi-Fi 7 is limited to a single one, against three in the United States.

On the RED side, the Wi-Fi harmonised-standard landscape now reads as follows:

Standard	Band	Use
EN 300 328	2.4 GHz	Wi-Fi 4/6, Bluetooth
EN 301 893	5 GHz	Wi-Fi 5/6/6E 5 GHz portion
EN 303 687	6 GHz	Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 6 GHz portion

A typical tri-band Wi-Fi 6E/7 product therefore needs to demonstrate compliance against all three standards, each with its own radio tests and channel-access mechanism.

Only two operating modes

For the European 6 GHz band, EN 303 687 defines two emission regimes, without any spectrum coordination mechanism (such as AFC, Automated Frequency Coordination) at this stage.

Low Power Indoor (LPI)

Maximum EIRP: 23 dBm (200 mW)
Spectral density: 10 dBm/MHz
Use: strictly indoor, mains or battery powered
Additional restrictions: no use on vehicles, trains, ships or aircraft; no externally connected antenna

This is the mode used by virtually all consumer Wi-Fi 6E access points and home tri-band routers. The 23 dBm cap remains comfortable for covering a dwelling or a small business space.

Very Low Power (VLP)

Maximum EIRP: 14 dBm (25 mW)
Spectral density: 1 dBm/MHz
Use: portable, transportable, indoor or outdoor
Product targets: AR/VR headsets, wearables, smartphones, tablets, earbuds

VLP allows outdoor use, but at a very reduced power level calibrated for short-range bubbles a few metres around the user. It is the regime by which a mixed-reality headset or a phone can activate its 6 GHz channels without depending on an indoor access point.

What changes in the new version

Version 1.2.1 of EN 303 687 does not change the power limits, those are fixed by European Decision 2021/1067 and the corresponding CEPT decision. The updates target test methods and clarify several points that had been causing trouble in laboratories:

Measurement on 320 MHz channels, consolidated protocol for characterising EIRP, spectral density and out-of-band emissions on the widest Wi-Fi 7 channel. The previous edition handled the case of a channel overlapping the 6425 MHz upper limit poorly.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO), clarification of the test procedure when a Wi-Fi 7 product transmits simultaneously across multiple bands (2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz). Each transmitter is still assessed under its respective standard, but the simultaneous test configuration is now explicit.
4096-QAM modulation, confirmation that higher-order modulation does not change the EIRP measurement method, but that EVM margins must be documented to demonstrate performance consistency in the technical file.
Channel occupancy detection, clarifications on the Listen Before Talk threshold in the 6 GHz band, harmonised with what already exists in the 5 GHz band.

None of these changes disqualifies a product already certified under the previous version of EN 303 687, but re-certification can be triggered if the product evolves toward Wi-Fi 7 having only been covered for Wi-Fi 6E.

The divergence from the United States

This is the structuring point for product teams targeting both markets: in its U-NII-5/-7 part (47 CFR Part 15.407), the FCC authorises a third regime that is entirely absent from the European framework, Standard Power.

Regime	US max EIRP	EU max EIRP	Coordination	Use
Low Power Indoor (LPI)	30 dBm	23 dBm	None	Indoor
Very Low Power (VLP)	14 dBm	14 dBm	None	Portable, indoor or outdoor
Standard Power	36 dBm	not authorised	AFC required	Outdoor fixed, industrial

In the United States, Standard Power allows outdoor Wi-Fi 6E/7 use up to 4 W EIRP, conditional on automated coordination through an AFC service which queries a frequency database to avoid interfering with incumbent services (fixed microwave links, satellite uplinks). The mechanism has been operational with the FCC since 2024.

Europe has not authorised Standard Power in Decision 2021/1067, and EN 303 687 therefore does not define an associated test method. CEPT studies on a possible Standard Power opening and on extending the band to 6425-7125 MHz are ongoing, but no decision is expected before 2027-2028 in optimistic scenarios.

Practical consequences

For a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 product targeting both EU and US markets:

An outdoor access point cannot use the 6 GHz band in Europe, it will need to stay on 2.4 and 5 GHz, or fall back to licensed technology (microwave link, cellular) for longer-range deployments.
An indoor access point works identically in LPI on both markets, but the maximum authorised power differs (23 vs 30 dBm): hence the value of firmware that can switch based on the country code.
A portable device (smartphone, XR headset, smart glasses) operates in VLP across both markets at the same 14 dBm cap, the simplest regime to deploy without regionalisation.
Country-code handling in firmware (based on the surrounding SSIDs, GPS or factory provisioning) becomes unavoidable as soon as a product travels between regions.

Implications for the technical file

For the RED declaration of conformity of a Wi-Fi 6E/7 product targeting the EU, the file must include:

Radio test report to EN 303 687 for the 6 GHz portion, with LPI and VLP configurations tested according to the product's capabilities.
EN 300 328 and EN 301 893 reports for the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands if the product is tri-band.
Geographic-lock demonstration, how the firmware technically prevents 6 GHz operation in a non-authorised mode on a given territory.
User documentation clearly stating the indoor restriction for LPI mode.
Cybersecurity 3.3 compliance since 1 August 2025, a connected Wi-Fi product falls within the mandatory scope of the EN 18031 requirements.

The cost of a full campaign for a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E/7 product typically falls between EUR 25,000 and 45,000 for the radio tests alone (excluding EMC and cybersecurity), driven by the number of configurations to be tested.

Key takeaways

EN 303 687 remains the only harmonised standard applicable to Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 products in the 6 GHz band in Europe.
Europe does not recognise the outdoor Standard Power mode at this stage, an outdoor Wi-Fi 6E access point is effectively impossible in the EU.
LPI and VLP are the only two authorised regimes; the US AFC mode has no European equivalent.
The new V1.2.1 stabilises test methods for Wi-Fi 7 (320 MHz channels, MLO, 4096-QAM) without changing the power limits.
A dual-market product strategy requires regionalised firmware and a test file for each jurisdiction.

Going further

RED harmonised standards: full table of applicable references
Required RED tests: breakdown of tests by article 3.1 to 3.3
CE vs FCC EMC: comparison of the European and US frameworks

Sources & references

EN 303 687: Broadband Radio Access Networks (BRAN) 6 GHz , ETSI www.etsi.org/standards
Decision (EU) 2021/1067: 6 GHz Wi-Fi band , EUR-Lex eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2021/1067/oj
CEPT ECC Decision (20)01: 5945-6425 MHz , CEPT www.cept.org/ecc/