14 DAY TRIAL // The FCC is going to look into opening up a new possible class of wireless broadband services which could help improve mobile network performance, but also network reliability.
The news comes just days after it was revealed that Google has shown interest in testing out some wireless frequencies, including one that could make broadband look like snail.
The Federal Communications Commission says that it wants to examine the possibility of opening up very high frequency 24GHz spectrum space, which should allow for better coverage, as well as network performance of wireless data services in the United States.
The 24GHz space has not been considered for wireless broadband use up until now, the FCC explained, adding that this has happened due to the technical limitations which have made it impossible to create mobile data networks at such high frequencies.
“It’s been long assumed that frequencies even higher up on the spectrum chart could not support mobile applications due to physical and technical limitations. But smart thinkers, innovators, and technologists are devising solutions to this previous perceived limitation,” writes chairman Tom Wheeler in a statement.
The Commission wants to know how this technology works, how it is different from what we already have. It wants to develop a record about how these technologies fit into the existing regulatory structures.
Here comes 5G
“The possibilities of 5G are very intriguing. The technology is certainly intriguing, but even more intriguing is what it means for the future of communications. It promises new user experiences, new deployment models, potentially even new industries. 5G will not be just better, faster, and cheaper; it likely will be something fundamentally different from what is possible today. And these possibilities may extend beyond 5G to other technologies and communications applications, such as satellite or airborne communications, or spark new applications yet to be amazed,” says Wheeler optimistically.
One important part is that using these much higher frequency bands could theoretically increase wireless broadband speeds and throughput to up to 10 gigabits per second.
As head of the FCC, Tom Wheeler has taken the management and allocation of wireless space very seriously. Carriers are always looking for new space to expand in in order to operate their networks, which means that the FCC has quite a bit of work.
Of course, there are other major issues on the FCC’s plate right now, such as net neutrality and the merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable.