Ultra-Fast 'Gigabit Wi-Fi' Closer to FCC Approval

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to approve today a series of changes that would clear the way for so-called "Gigabit Wi-Fi". The changes include increase of the amount of unlicensed spectrum in the 5GHz band by 195MHz, or 35%, for high-speed, high-capacity "Gigabit Wi-Fi." If the vote succeeds, as expected, the FCC's commissioners will later have to approve the proposed rules in a final vote.

These changes will lead to less Wi-Fi congestion on heavily used networks at places such as sporting events or airports thanks to the additional spectrum. Furthermore, users will encounter faster speeds thanks to a new Wi-Fi standard that's being developed — 802.11ac, which is already present on manufacturers' newest devices but hasn't yet passed regulatory hurdles.

A possible obstacle to the changes could be the fact that the spectrum which may be released is already used by federal radar and other services, meaning reform will demand cooperation from other government agencies. However, FCC officials are determined to find technological ways around potential challenges. One such idea is sharing use of the released spectrum between incumbent services and the newly enabled Wi-Fi devices by asking the latter to first check and see if a particular channel is being used by the former and, if so, switch to a different channel in the spectrum block.

"As this spectrum comes on line, we expect it to relieve congested Wi-Fi networks at major hubs like convention centers and airports," said Genachowski. "It will also help in homes as tablets and smartphones proliferate and video use rises."

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