100 MHz of Spectrum in 5 GHz Band for Unlicensed Wi-Fi Made Available by the FCC

In what has been referred to as a “rare bit of bipartisanship,” both the Democratic and Republican commissioners of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to relax some of the rules that oversee the operation of Wi-Fi devices which operate in the 5GHz band.

As the press release from the FCC states, “The Federal Communications Commission today provided for accelerated growth and expansion of new Wi-Fi technology that can offer faster speeds of one gigabit per second or more, increase overall capacity, and reduce congestion at Wi-Fi hot spots. The new rules will make 100 MHz of spectrum more accessible for use in homes and congested spaces like convention centers, parks and airports and increase the potential for more unlicensed spectrum innovation.”

On the word of the FCC, the relaxation of the rules for Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices will allow for accelerated growth and expansion of new Wi-Fi technology that will operate at speeds of one gigabit per second or higher.

The Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure is designated to provide short-range, high-speed wireless networking communication at low cost. U-NII consists of three frequency bands of 100 MHz each in the 5 GHz band: 5.15-5.25GHz (for indoor use only), 5.25-5.35 GHz and 5.725-5.825GHz. The three frequency bands were set aside by the FCC in 1997 to initially help schools connect to the Internet without the need for hard wiring.

In a statement the FCC said, “The rules adopted today remove the current restriction on indoor-only use and increase the permissible power which will provide more robust access in the 5.150-5.250GHz band."

Commission chairman Tom Wheeler noted that freeing the 100MHz is only one step in the commission's effort to increasing unlicensed spectrum, and that the FCC will continue to carefully study technical analyses in its consideration of freeing up an additional 195MHz in two other areas of the 5GHz band.

This ruling is the FCC’s attempt to decongest Wi-Fi. Wheeler said, "At the same time, it moves us another step closer to ending the analog-era debate of licensed vs. unlicensed spectrum. In 2014, licensed and unlicensed spectrum are more complimentary than competitive. They are less oil & vinegar and more peanut butter & jelly."

It was mentioned in The Register that Democratic commissioner Mignon Clyburn also threw her support behind freeing up the additional 195MHz. Fellow Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel, said "We are doubling the unlicensed bandwidth in the 5GHz band overnight." She called for more unlicensed spectrum and echoed Wheeler's "peanut butter & jelly" complementary assessment when she said, "Good spectrum policy will always require a mix of licensed and unlicensed services. Treating them as competing is a relic from the past, because going forward they are complementary and more and more devices and services are bound to incorporate the use of both."

One reason that the unlicensed 5GHz spectrum has had such strict rules is to prevent devices from interfering with other users. Keep in mind that devices such as baby monitors and garage door openers fall under the same spectrum.

Let us also not forget that government telemetry networks and Globalstar’s satellite ground links also use the spectrum.  Well, at least they did until last year. The U.S. Department of Defense said that it no longer needed the band. Due to the fact that earlier this year Globalstar reached an agreement with the FCC that would open the band up to both satellite and Wi-Fi use, the was cleared for this week’s decision.