The FCC voted unanimously on Wednesday of this week to free up 195Mhz in the 5Ghz band for use with public WiFi and for boosting of mobile phone signals.
“Because the 5GHz band is already used for other purposes by both federal and non-federal users, the effort will require significant consultation with stakeholders to enable non-interfering shared use of the spectrum,” said FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. “But consultation can’t be an excuse for inaction or delay.”
This is a major boost to the WiFi industry in the US and will mean a vastly improved service to users over time. It is also certainly a recognition that WiFi has a lot more to offer, and with the new 802.11ac standard on the way to widespread use there will be some really exciting innovations afoot – so goodbye to those pesky wires!