40 years ago, the FCC opened the 2.4 GHz spectrum and it kickstarted an invisible, wireless revolution

In 1998, a handful of companies focused on wire replacement for mobile voice and data came together to form the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, an entity that would grow to include tens of thousands of members who would spend the next two and a half decades working to create a better world through connection. Fifteen years before Bluetooth technology began helping to create a healthier, smarter, more productive, and more sustainable world, the Federal Communications Commission approved the use of unlicensed spectrum in the 2.4 GHz band, laying the foundation for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other short-range wireless technologies to come into being. On May 9, 1985, the FCC opened up the 2.4 GHz spectrum for public innovation without needing a license. The deregulation of the 2.4 GHz band meant that anyone could develop wireless technologies in that band. This created an environment that allowed for a 1W power limit that was greater than previous unlicensed limits. The 1985 decision to deregulate the 2.4 GHz band directly enabled the creation and global adoption of Bluetooth technology in 1998, and it is considered to be a turning point in wireless communication history.