The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet is holding a hearing tomorrow to discuss “The State of Wireless Communications.” Speaking at the hearing will be Steve Largent of CTIA, Doug Webster of Cisco, Steven K. Berry of the Competitive Carriers Association, Delara Derakhshani of Consumers Union, Thomas Nagel of Comcast Corporation, and George Ford of the Phoenix Center. While many issues will be discussed during the hearing, one of the most important is finding additional spectrum for unlicensed services like Wi-Fi – particularly in the 5 GHz band. Doing so is essential for growing and improving nationwide broadband service through rapidly expanding outside-the-home Wi-Fi access points.
Cable is a growing part of public Wi-Fi development. Today, there are over 150,000 Cable Wi-Fi hotspots across the country. These hotspots are available to cable customers for no extra charge and are quickly becoming an integral part of the U.S. communications network. To put it in perspective, there are ten times more Cable Wi-Fi hotspots in America than there are Starbucks hotspots. Cable Wi-Fi hotspots are used by consumers not only to provide access to broadband when they’re on the go, but also to help manage their wireless accounts by offloading usage onto Wi-Fi when possible.
Currently, outdoor Wi-Fi access points largely rely on the already saturated 2.4 GHz band. Because this spectrum is so heavily used, especially in larger markets, speeds are reduced and growth is stunted. Making the 5 GHz band more Wi-Fi friendly would help relieve congestion and increase speeds, leading to new investment and innovation in communications infrastructure.
As Wi-Fi enabled devices like smartphones and tablets become ubiquitous, providers of Wi-Fi broadband networks like the ones deployed by cable are going to need to continue to expand. 5 GHz is particularly attractive for new Wi-Fi deployment both because it could offer a large amount of potential spectrum and because 5 GHz capability is already built into many consumer devices.
One of the exciting developments being worked on is the next-generation Wi-Fi standard (called 802.11ac), which will provide the capability to deliver gigabit Wi-Fi. The 5 GHz band provides the big chunks of spectrum needed to make 802.11ac work. By removing existing encumbrances and taking full advantage of the 5 GHz band, we can establish ourselves as global leaders in next generation Wi-Fi technology.
So there’s a lot at stake in tomorrow’s hearing. Making sure that we begin to address the urgent need for more unlicensed spectrum – particularly in the 5 GHz band – should be at the top of the list.