Cell Carriers Battle for Wi-Fi Airwaves

Coverage Type: 

A battle is brewing among tech giants over the future of Wi-Fi, the ubiquitous and unregulated wireless connections at the core of the mobile Internet. Verizon Communications Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. are preparing to broadcast cellular signals over some of the same free airwaves currently used by Wi-Fi networks. The wireless carriers plan to begin rolling out the technology in 2016.

That worries startups like Republic Wireless as well as companies like Google and Cablevision that have built services that rely on Wi-Fi networks. They argue Verizon’s and T-Mobile’s signals could take up space Wi-Fi services normally use and crowd them out. Wi-Fi networks—in homes, offices, airports and coffee shops—already carry more than half of mobile data usage globally. Google officials wrote a letter in June to the Federal Communications Commission urging caution.


Cell Carriers Battle for Wi-Fi Airwaves