In what could be an important proof of concept for providing high-capacity and high-speed wireless communications in areas where it is traditionally difficult to lay fixed assets such as fibre, Scottish wireless internet service provider (WISP) Scot-Tel-Gould has revealed plans for a 6GHz trial of the Gigabit 1 (G1) platform from next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) provider Tarana Wireless in the Aberdeen area.
The trial comes just as the annual Fixed wireless access CPE market survey from global mobile ecosystem the GSA found that FWA CPE suppliers expect to report double-digit shipment growth by the end of 2026. 5G devices are forecast to account for almost 70% of FWA CPE shipments globally, up from 60% of reported shipments in 2025. Of these 5G-enabled FWA devices, shipments of 5G Standalone-capable equipment are expected to grow 34% in 2026, representing 97% of units.
The trial builds on Tarana’s first live ngFWA deployment in Scotland, and Scot-Tel-Gould plans to deploy Tarana G1 6GHz base nodes (BNs) in the area and test G1’s four-carrier mode under an experimental licence from UK comms regulator Ofcom.
The G1 platform uses interference cancellation and other technologies to deliver what is claimed to be fibre-class broadband, even in challenging conditions. In 6GHz, G1 can use four independent 40MHz carriers and support up to 1.6Gbps of aggregate capacity per link. This is said to be enough to give operators more flexibility to use spectrum available through use of Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) technology.
Scot-Tel-Gould is already using Tarana equipment for the Huntly 5G Project, which began connecting homes around Huntly, Aberdeenshire, in June 2025. The project is funded by the Aberdeen City Region Deal and delivered by the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society (SAOS), with a focus on rural areas where terrain, vegetation and limited infrastructure have made broadband deployment difficult.
G1 is already certified for commercial 6GHz operation using AFC in the UK and Canada. Tarana says the experience provides a real-world foundation as the UK implements its own coordinated spectrum-sharing framework, an approach it says could also help inform other markets evaluating how to make additional spectrum available for broadband.
“Having seen what Tarana’s technology can achieve through the Huntly 5G Project, this trial represents an important next stage in our work together,” said Georgi Hristov, technical director at Scot-Tel-Gould. “Trialing G1’s four-carrier mode in the 6GHz band will allow us to test its capabilities under real network conditions in Scotland. It is an opportunity to generate practical evidence that can help shape the commercial use of this spectrum and demonstrate its potential for fixed wireless operators across the UK.”
The trial is also said to reflect Tarana’s support of UK comms regulator Ofcom’s plans to open new spectrum and move towards commercial 6GHz use, which manages access to shared spectrum while protecting existing users.
It also comes as Ofcom moves forward with its framework for standard-power outdoor use of the 6GHz band through AFC, which manages access to shared spectrum while protecting existing users. Ofcom’s framework notes that fixed wireless technologies can manage interference through approaches such as beamforming and intelligent radio management, rather than relying on traditional Wi-Fi contention methods.
Tarana stressed that it supports Ofcom’s approach. “Ofcom’s work to open 6GHz for standard-power outdoor use gives broadband providers an important new resource for expanding capacity and reaching more communities,” said Ivo Lansky, Tarana business lead for Europe, the UK and Central Asia.
“The framework recognises that modern wireless technologies can manage interference in different ways while making efficient use of shared spectrum. We’ve seen what G1 can deliver in shared spectrum at scale, and this trial with Scot-Tel-Gould gives us an opportunity to build on the work already underway in Scotland.”
