The Federal Communications Commission will take steps to cut through Wi-Fi congestion and boost speeds by making 195MHz in the 5GHz band available for ultra-high-speed, high-capacity gigabit Wi-Fi.
Speaking at the 2013 International CES last week in Las Vegas, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said the move ultimately would relieve Wi-Fi congestion at major hubs like airports, convention centers and conferences and add capacity for multiple home Wi-Fi users. According to Genachowski that effort will most notably improve the distribution of HD video on wireless networks.
“Today, the FCC is moving to bring increased speed and capacity to Wi-Fi networks by increasing the amount of unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi,” said Genachowski. “As this spectrum comes on line, we expect it to relieve congested Wi-Fi networks at major hubs like convention centers and airports. It will also help in homes as tablets and smartphones proliferate and video use rises.”
Currently, the 5GHz band is used by both federal and non-federal spectrum users. Regardless, Genachowski said the commission will move expeditiously to complete the proceeding.
