Genachowski Says Wi-Fi Spectrum to Get 195 MHz Boost
At CES FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced a major effort to increase Wi-Fi speeds and alleviate Wi-Fi congestion at popular locations and in homes with multiple devices and users.
Speaking at the 2013 International CES, Genachowski said the FCC will take the first steps next month to unleash up to 195 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHz band.
“We all know the frustration of Wi-Fi congestion at conferences and airports,” said Genachowski. “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. 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.
“When the FCC helped pioneer Wi-Fi nearly 30 years ago--through an innovative spectrum policy that relied on unlicensed use--no one knew the potential it held. But that FCC-created platform for innovation gave us cordless phones, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, benefiting consumers and our economy massively. We'll keep nurturing today's Wi-Fi as we also develop a next generation of spectrum policies to drive our mobile future for our innovators and our economy.”
The spectrum Genachowski has in mind is currently used for other purposes by both federal and non-federal users, and as a result, will require significant collaboration with other federal agencies. Some of the existing 5 GHz Wi-Fi spectrum is shared with radars. The Wi-Fi devices are supposed to listen for radar signals before transmitting on a channel, but there have been several cases of interference to radars in New York City, Miami and Salt Lake City. In the last two, the interference affected air traffic control radars. The limited range of 5 GHz signals indoors should reduce the chance of interference between 5 GHz Wi-Fi systems with indoor-only antennas.
Get the TV Tech Newsletter
The professional video industry's #1 source for news, trends and product and tech information. Sign up below.
Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.