# Agriculture 5.0 in Colombia: Opportunities Through the Emerging 6G Network
## 2 Background
### Projected Frequency Bands in 6G  
After a consultation process involving most countries around the world, the 2023 ITU Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-23) defined its vision for what International Mobile Telecommunications in 2030 (IMT-2030) should be, within which 6G is framed. In this context, IMT-2030 encompasses the new features that 6G technology is expected to incorporate [22] the following:  
* Coverage. * Sustainability. * Sensing-related capabilities. * Integration of AI. * Interoperability. With this objective, and in accordance with the 3 GPP work plan, Release 20 is expected to be available by June 2026, including the requirements and use cases related to 6G technology [28]. In relation to these new capabilities, the inclusion of coverage as part of the standard is particularly noteworthy, without it being dependent on the regulatory frameworks of individual countries. Therefore, improvements in connectivity--through optimized link budgets--as well as higher data rates, on the order of hundreds of gigabits per second (Gbps) [29], and newly proposed service scenarios such as ubiquitous connectivity and the integration of sensing and AI functions [30], require 6G to support significantly wider bandwidths. These bandwidths can hardly be provided by bands below 6 GHz due to existing spectrum saturation. Consequently, the ITU has identified several bands that could be used in the future deployment of 6G, although it has recommended further studies on the matter or their potential approval during the conferences scheduled for 2027 and 2031. The candidate bands identified by the ITU include the following: 4.4-4.8 GHz, 7.125-8.400 GHz, and 14.8-15.35 GHz [31]. As previously explained, 6G will require greater amounts of spectrum to meet enhanced conditions and new requirements. Therefore, a notable difference compared to previous technologies is the need to explore the possibility of making spectrum available in higher frequency bands, for example, above 6 GHz [32]. To that end, the European Union, through a study conducted by the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG), has identified several candidate frequency bands for 6G (see Table 4). Although bands above 6 GHz are considered the best option to support the growing traffic demand, already positioning themselves as the preferred choice by operators to meet these needs and facilitate the deployment of 6G [34], the use of low bands should not be ruled out, as they would facilitate coverage in sparsely populated areas, thus reducing the digital divide for populations residing in rural areas or regions far from major urban centers. For this reason, the ITU proposes studying them at the 2031 WRC. Regarding mid-bands (3 GHz to 7 GHz), the RSPG identifies them as one of the options currently available for use in broadband services. Additionally, Ref. [35] refers to the consensus between the mobile telecommunications industry and the academic sector on the need to promote their use in the expansion of 5G and in the development of 6G. Regarding the 7 to 8 GHz band and the extended 7 to 15 GHz band, various stakeholders in the mobile communications sector, such as Ericsson, referenced in [36], profile them as the preferred choices for initial 6G deployments due to their balance between capacity and coverage. One potential advantage of using the 7 to 15 GHz band is the ease of providing 200 MHz to 400 MHz of bandwidth, which is estimated to be needed by mobile operators in high-power macrocells [37]. However, as with other portions of the spectrum, this band is currently occupied in various countries, making its immediate use from 2030 onwards impossible. Therefore, its use must be carefully planned. Apart from the band identification made by the ITU in 2023, various stakeholders in the mobile telecommunications sector are proposing alternative solutions. One of them is Nokia, recommending the use of spectrum above the 90 GHz band to offer solutions requiring extreme transmission speeds [38].