The FCC's Proposal To Expand Wi-Fi Spectrum Is A Good Start

[Commentary] The Federal Communications Commission has proposed to free up and allow satellite spectrum to be used for Wi-Fi services.

Initially raised by Globalstar, the FCC proposal would increase Wi-Fi capacity by one-third in the very popular 2.4 GHz band, thereby helping to relieve the coming Wi-Fi crunch. The spectrum being proposed is adjacent to other Wi-Fi spectrum, meaning it would make the spectrum readily available for chipsets in existing consumer Wi-Fi equipment. Aside from the obvious benefit of expanding Wi-Fi capacity, there are many economic and consumer benefits that are predicted to follow. By increasing capacity by one-third in the 2.4 GHz band, as the FCC proposes, the plan could generate an additional $11 billion to the GDP -- which, in turn, is estimated to lead to the creation of 90,000 new and permanent jobs.

The FCC needs to free up spectrum as quickly as possible -- licensed and unlicensed, thereby allowing for providers to offer reliable services and in order to provide financial benefits for consumers across the board. Their proposal is one important step in that direction.

[Christenson writes on digital tech issues for the American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research]