List of WiFi channels banned by countries

Having a complete and up-to-date list of WiFi channels banned by countries is critical to being able to browse safely anywhere in the world

Since its conception, the Internet has been one of the great globalizing agents in history. And hand in hand with it has come WiFi, a technology that has been able to reach practically every corner of the planet, connecting millions of people in different latitudes.

However, as contradictory as it may seem, this highly standardized technology is not used in the same way in all territories. There are a number of regional peculiarities related to the radio spectrum that affect how we can access it.

This means that in certain countries the use of certain channels is allowed that are not available in others. This point of variability can generate uncertainty when connecting to the Internet.

In order to facilitate this task, we have drawn up a list of WiFi channels banned by countries, showing both their availability and the particular restrictions of each region.

Channels in the 2.4 GHz band

The 2.4 GHz band is the oldest of all the existing bands. It was used by the first global WiFi standards, such as IEEE 802.11b and its spectrum, which ranges from 2401 MHz to 2495 MHz, is divided into 14 channels of 20 MHz each.

Below is a list of WiFi channels banned by countries in the 2.4 GHz band:

Channels	Frequency range (MHz)	Availability	Restrictions
1-9	2401-2462	Worldwide	No restrictions or bans
10-11	2446-2473	Worldwide with local restrictions	Generally permitted in the USA, Europe, etc.
12-13	2456-2483	Europe, parts of Asia and other countries	USA: Restricted use (prohibited or limited to low power)
14	2473-2495	Japan	Only allowed in Japan for 802.11b (DSSS and CCK modulation)

As we can see, of the 14 existing channels, 13 of them are available globally with practically no restrictions. For its part, the USA limits the use of channels 12 and 13 to those with low-power transmitters and low-gain antennas. But, in order to avoid potential interference, they are hardly used.

Channel 14 stands out on the list of WiFi channels banned by countries, as it is only available in Japan. In any case, it can only be used under the DSSS (direct sequence spread spectrum) and CCK (complementary code keying) modulation schemes.

Channels in the 5 GHz band

Launched just over a decade ago, the 5 GHz frequency band has a wide spectrum, ranging from 5170 MHz to 5895 MHz. With more than thirty channels to its credit, these are grouped into the U-NII sub-bands.

U-NII, which stands for Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure, is a portion of the spectrum used by most wireless internet providers and is divided into four sub-bands for the 5 GHz frequency band:

• U-NII-1. Also known as the low band, this covers a 100 MHz portion, from 5,150 to 5,250 MHz.
• U-NII-2. This sub-band is divided, in turn, into three others: U-NII-2A or middle band, U-NII-2B and U-NII-2C or global band. Together, it covers from 5,250 MHz to 5,725 MHz.
• U-NII-3. Also known as the high band, it covers the frequencies between 5,725 MHz and 5,850 MHz.
• U-NII-4. The last sub-band within the 5 GHz frequency band covers the range from 5,850 MHz to 5,925 MHz.

Now that we know about this division into sub-bands, it is necessary to focus on three terms that are essential for understanding the list of WiFi channels that are prohibited by countries in a simple way. The terms are as follows:

• DFS. Dynamic Frequency Selection is a channel allocation protocol designed to avoid possible interference between WiFi wireless networks and other technologies, such as weather radars. This allows the access point to automatically select other channels with low levels of interference when it detects that another technology is using a channel. The change from one channel to another, with its relevant scanning process, can take several minutes.
• TPC. Transmit Power Control is a function that allows the access point to define the maximum transmission power. It is used to reduce interference between wireless networks when they are in close proximity.
• SRD. Short-range devices are radio frequency transmitters that operate at low power, greatly reducing their capacity to generate interference.

Now, below, we present the list of WiFi channels banned by countries for the 5 GHz band:

Channels	Frequency range (MHz)	Sub-Band	Restrictions
32, 36, 40, 44, 48	5150-5250	U-NII-1	Allowed in the USA and certain Asian countries. In the rest of the world, it allowed for indoor use. In Europe, also under the TPC standard.
52, 56, 60, 64	5250-5330	U-NII-2A	Requires DFS and TPC in almost all countries. In Europe, Brazil, Australia and certain Asian countries, it is also only allowed for indoor use.
68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92	5330-5470	U-NII2B	Channels not used in any country
96, 100,104,108,112,116	5470-5590	U-NII-2C	Requires DFS and TPC in most regions. Banned in Russia, China, Bahrain and Indonesia.
120,124,128,	5590-5650	U-NII-2C	Requires DFS and TPC in most regions. Banned in Russia, China, Bahrain, Indonesia, Australia and Canada.
132, 136, 140	5650-5710	U-NII-2C	Requires DFS and TPC in most regions. Banned in China, Bahrain and Indonesia.
144	5710-5730	U-NII-2C/3	Requires DFS and TPC in most regions. Banned in China, Bahrain, Indonesia, Turkey and South Africa.
149, 153, 157, 161	5735-5815	U-NII-3	Allowed in almost all countries without restrictions. In Europe, it requires SRD. Banned in Japan, Turkey and South Africa.
165	5815-5835	U-NII-3	Allowed in almost all countries without restrictions. In Europe, it requires SRD. Banned in Japan, Turkey, South Africa and Indonesia.
169	5835-5855	U-NII-3/4	Allowed in many countries without restrictions. In Europe, it requires SRD. It is banned in Canada, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil and much of Asia and Oceania.
173	5855-5875	U-NII-4	Allowed in many countries without restrictions. In Europe, it requires SRD. It is banned in Russia, Canada, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil and much of Asia and Oceania.
177	5875-5895	U-NII-4	It is prohibited in all countries except the USA, where it is only permitted for indoor use.

Channels in the 6 GHz band

Finally, it is the turn of the 6 GHz band. Like the 5 GHz frequency band, it is subdivided into four U-NII sub-bands, numbered in this case from 5 to 8.

As this is a relatively new technology, not all regions of the world have opened up this frequency band for use. Therefore, in many countries its use is considered prohibited. As with the 5 GHz band, there are local restrictions regarding indoor/outdoor use or power.

Channels	Frequency range (MHz)	Sub-Band	Restrictions
1, 5, 9 […], 93	5945-6425	U-NII-5	Permitted in almost all countries. In the USA, Canada, Europe, Russia, Japan and New Zealand, permitted at low power indoors or at very low power.
97, 101, 105, 109, 113	6425-6525	U-NII-6	Permitted in several countries around the world. In the USA and Canada, permitted at low power and banned in Europe, Russia, Japan, Mexico and parts of Asia and Oceania.
117, […], 181	6525-6865	U-NII-7	Permitted in several countries around the world. In the USA and Canada, permitted at low power and banned in Europe, Russia, Japan, Mexico and parts of Asia and Oceania.
185	6865-6885	U-NII-7/8	Permitted in several countries around the world. In the USA and Canada, permitted at low power and banned in Europe, Russia, Japan, Mexico and parts of Asia and Oceania.
189, […], 233	6885-7125	U-NII-8	Permitted in several countries around the world. In the USA and Canada, permitted at low power and banned in Europe, Russia, Japan, Mexico and parts of Asia and Oceania.

As can be seen in each list of WiFi channels banned by countries, there is inevitably a small degree of uncertainty with regard to certain regions. It would undoubtedly be impractical to reflect the situation in every one of the 195 countries recognized worldwide.

Furthermore, it is worth noting the changing nature of these regulations. Any of the restrictions reflected in this list of WiFi channels banned by countries can be modified over time.

Therefore, we recommend that you consult local regulatory authorities whenever possible to check for updated regulations, thus avoiding exposure to penalties for the illegitimate use of WiFi channels.