More Spectrum Opened for Unlicensed Use

The FCC is making available an additional 255 MHz of spectrum in the 5.470-5.725 GHz band for unlicensed devices. It is available for use by unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices, including Radio Local Area Networks (RLANs), operating under Part 15.
“This increases the spectrum available for use by unlicensed devices in the 5 GHz region of the spectrum by nearly 80%, and is a significant increase in the spectrum available for unlicensed devices across the overall radio spectrum,” the commission announced.
“This action will also harmonize the spectrum available for these U-NII devices throughout the world, enabling manufacturers to reduce product development costs by allowing the same products to be used in many parts of the world.”
The FCC said it expects this move will help the growth and innovation of wireless broadband services, including services offered by wireless Internet service providers.