Speaking at a recent event “THE ROAD TO GIGABIT WI-FI” hosted by new America Foundation Washington, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said that the 5.9 GHz band is our best near shot for having more WiFi and called for tests to ensure that it can be effectively used for this purpose. She added that we need a place for Wi-Fi to grow and the 5.9 GHz band, or more precisely the 5850-5925 MHz band, is an ideal place to explore Wi-Fi expansion. It’s adjacent to an existing band of unlicensed spectrum in 5725-5825 MHz.
Back in 1999, the FCC set aside the 5.9 GHz band for the automotive industry. Since that time, efforts have been underway to use this spectrum to develop technology that can reduce car crashes and improve roadway safety. This system, known as Dedicated Short Range Communications Service, is designed to have cars talk to each other in real time in order to reduce driving accidents. But this technology is still in the developmental stage.
Jessica Rosenworcel informed us that the FCC has reached an agreement for new tests for shared operations in the 5.9 GHz band. But they still have to come up with a roadmap for this task. This will be a huge step towards using our spectrum resources in a better way and for building a more connected future.
