“The federal government is currently holding spectrum that could be opened up for unlicensed use. In particular, there is a big chunk of spectrum in what is known as the 5 GHz band,” U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and U.S. FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai write for Wired. “Its wide, contiguous channels allow for extremely fast connections—think open, five-lane highways, as opposed to single-lane service roads. And engineers have already worked out the technical aspects of making it operational. This spectrum is our country’s best bet for getting more unlicensed spectrum into consumers’ hands. Making this spectrum usable and ubiquitous could dramatically boost the speed and lower the price of consumer devices.”
“We’ve been working hard to do just that,” Eshoo and Pai write. “In the last two Congresses, Congresswoman Eshoo has introduced the Wi-Fi Innovation Act to expand unlicensed use of the 5 GHz band. And since 2012, Commissioner Pai has been calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to open up the band. This is an issue with broad, bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, at the FCC, and across the country.”
“But progress hasn’t been fast enough,” Eshoo and Pai write. “It’s critical that the federal government press forward and open up the band. Because the Internet is increasingly becoming a mobile experience, we should work together to anticipate, rather than catch up with, consumer demand. Doing so will spark innovation and spur economic growth.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As long as it can be done safely, push ahead!