Another Step toward Spectrum Frontiers

On March 3 the Senate committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved the Mobile Now Act, a bill which is focused on increasing spectrum available for building commercial mobile networks.  The FCC’s Spectrum Frontiers rulemaking for the mm wavelengths plays into this and the agency is moving ahead with proposed rules for 28 GHz, 37 GHz, 39 GHz and 64-71 GHz bands.

NYU Wireless researchers reported at the Spectrum Frontiers workshop that spectrum in several GHz bands can be utilized for wireless networking and it appears that both transmit and receive hardware will be available soon to operate in the mm bands.


In any case the FCC will have to weigh arguments from current wireless giants (think AT&T), from satellite operators, and from possible new entrants with deep pockets (think Google) as to who gets to do what in what bands.