What’s the Future of the Wireless Spectrum?

The Federal Communications Commission initiated a brainstorming session with industry experts on July 16 about the future of wireless spectrum. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski introduced the forum where a series of panelists spoke about various topics related to spectrum allocation and data usage.

Chairman Genachowski said U.S. industry is on track to roll out the 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) download speed standard at scale — and that unlicensed spectrum is expected to be made available soon. However, significant challenges lie ahead, he said. The increasing amount of data consumed by mobile devices is forcing the FCC to think about how to apportion spectrum blocks in these changing times, and what rules will govern how the public and private entities use it. The U.S. and the rest of the world are shifting away from using voice networks in favor of data networks, which are more data-intensive and thus require more spectrum.