6G spectrum sharing gains importance as testing complexity rises

At the RCR 6G Forum 2026, experts from NTIA, the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, AT&T and LitePoint said spectrum sharing will be built into the 6G concept as exclusive bands become scarce. AT&T said 5G/6G MRSS control-channel overhead will be capped at 3.5%, while LitePoint warned the test matrix could multiply.

• NTIA described an unprecedented pipeline of spectrum work for 5G and 6G
• 3GPP agreed shared control-channel overhead will stay below 3.5%
• LitePoint: new bands and sharing will multiply RF test combinations
• AT&T said some capable 5G radios could get 6G via software upgrade