CES: FCC Chair Promises to Boost Wi-Fi

Cites freeing up of unlicensed spectrum in 5 GHz band

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/9/2013 5:27:08 PM

Complete Coverage: CES 2013

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Association convention that the FCC is launching a government-wide effort to boost high-capacity Wi-Fi to allow for multiple HD video streams from major "hubs" like convention centers, airports and homes.

That announcement came in an FCC release saying the chairman was announcing it while speaking at CES. It may not be coming too soon. Ironically, a promised video stream from the convention center of that announcement was not accessible online at presstime.

"We all know the frustration of Wi-Fi congestion at conferences and airports. Today, the FCC is moving to bring increased speed and capacity to Wi-Fi networks by increasing the amount of unlicensed spectrum for Wi-Fi," the chairman said, according to the FCC. "As this spectrum comes on line, we expect it to relieve congested Wi-Fi networks at major hubs like convention centers and airports. It will also help in homes as tablets and smartphones proliferate and video use rises."

The FCC next month plans to free up as much as 195 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHz band for Wi-Fi.