FCC moves to free up nation's Wi-Fi networks [telecom]

The following article:

is copy'n'pasted with several typos corrected below:

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to relieve crowded Wi-Fi networks that people use in hotels, airports and other public places by increasing available bandwidth for unlicensed consumer devices.

As any of us can attest, when a lot of people use a wireless network, speed goes down. As digital demand for bandwidth skyrockets with each new tablet, smartphone and PC, the body has taken closer looks at how to keep people communicating on the wires and, like adding more hoses to a firetruck, looked for ways to increase speeds.

The commission proposed making a large chunk of high-frequency spectrum

-- basically, air waves -- in the 5 GHz band, available for use by unlicensed devices, including gadgets like home routers. The FCC will now allow a public comment period, which can take a year sometimes, after which it will finalize the regulations.

[Moderator snip]

Citations and Links:

High-frequency spectrum chunk:

Gary Shapiro Consumer Electronics Association CEO statement:

New York Times article:

***** Moderator's Note *****

802.11A devices already use channels in the 5 GHz range. How is this different?

Bill Horne Moderator

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Posted 5 years ago by Thad Floryan in General Telecommunications Forum

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