The proposed new WiFi system is LTE in Unlicensed Spectrum or LTE-U. The spectrum that carries emails and other data has an unlicensed range and a licensed range with the latter the range that the government rents to carriers. Naturally, many companies would love to send info at no cost to themselves, but there are many questions about how that would affect the system in general.Bloomberg Business weighed in last week with an article about the pros and cons of the question. On one side, Verizon is leading carriers in an effort to equip phones with chips that will allow them to use the free airwaves. On the other side, Google, Microsoft, Comcast and others fear there are risks which could disrupt the existing WiFi access most people have, Bloomberg said.
On the third side, is the government. In May, the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau sent out a public information notice requesting information on “these technologies and the techniques they will implement to share spectrum with existing unlicensed operations and technologies such as WiFi that are widely used by the public.” Commissioner Michael O’Reilly added at the end of the notice, “Today’s public notice walks a fine line between reasonable oversight and inappropriate interference with the standards setting process. The decision to jump into this space rather casually causes me great concern. In particular, any step that could insert the Commission into the standards work for LTE-U comes with great risk. I will be vigilant in ensuring that the Commission’s involvement does not result in taking sides with various stakeholders, hindering technological innovation or having any say about what technologies should or should not be deployed.”
Both sides say they have research to back up their findings. “Unlicensed spectrum is going to be an important part of providing a better mobile broadband experience for our customers,” said Verizon’s David Young. The company also said the additional airwaves will help clear cellular congestion and keep the Internet working at top speed as data keeps growing.
The main concern from others is that LTE-U relies on a combination of new, small cell towers and home wireless routers which risks disrupting the existing WiFi access. Google, Microsoft and Comcast filed with the FCC on October 23 claiming that LTE-U “has avoided the long-proven standards-setting process and would substantially degrade consumer WiFi service across the country,” Bloomberg said.
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