FCC Presses Wi-Fi Plan Despite Utility, First Responder Worries

The Federal Communications Commission remains intent on repurposing airwaves to handle surging Wi-Fi data traffic, despite opposition from power companies and first responders who say it could interfere with their communications systems. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai defended the agency’s plan to allocate more spectrum to meet exploding Wi-Fi demand at a recent Senate appropriations panel hearing. The agency may finalize its proposal later this year or early in 2020, commission watchers say. “I truly believe that American consumers can have the best of both worlds,” Chairman Pai told lawmakers. “They can have the electric utilities using the spectrum in a way that allows them to deliver power more efficiently, and they can have the benefit of unlicensed innovation.” Chairman  Pai insists his agency will guard utilities and other current 6 GHz users. “We recognize that the incumbent users in that band, in particular the electric utilities, need to be protected from harmful interference, and you’ve got my guarantee that I will work with our career staff to do the technical analysis necessary to ensure that that happens,” he said