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<\/a>\u201cDemand for wireless spectrum is growing rapidly as smartphone and tablet users increasingly use Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet,\u201d said Latta.\u00a0\u201cTo accommodate this demand and support future mobile development and innovation, we must utilize spectrum more efficiently.\u00a0The Wi-Fi Innovation Act paves a pathway to maximize the use of spectrum and examine ways to expand the deployment of wireless networks and services across the country, so all can benefit from this next-generation technology.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom personal communication to transportation, healthcare and beyond, wireless technologies are changing and improving our lives,\u201d\u00a0said Issa. \u201cThe Wi-Fi Innovation Act will make available the spectrum necessary to support the best new inventions and the jobs and prosperity these new discoveries will foster.<\/p>\n
\u201cI applaud the bipartisan work between my House colleagues Congressman Bob Latta, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Congresswoman Doris Matsui,\u201d Issa said. \u201cAdditionally, I am pleased to work in cooperation with both Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) for their efforts to push a companion bill through the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor three decades unlicensed spectrum has been the invisible backbone to myriad wireless technologies, ranging from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to garage doors and cordless phones. But in order to unlock the next generation of wireless technology we need to optimize our finite amount of available spectrum,\u201d said Eshoo. \u201cLast year, 57 percent of America\u2019s mobile data traffic was offloaded onto Wi-Fi networks supported by unlicensed spectrum. It\u2019s also estimated that unlicensed spectrum accounted for more than $200 billion of the U.S. economy in 2013, including $36 billion in savings to consumers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bipartisan, bicameral Wi-Fi Innovation Act directs the FCC to determine the extent to which unlicensed spectrum can be shared and utilized in increasingly innovative ways to benefit consumers and our economy. It\u2019s this kind of forward-thinking that will produce enormous economic benefits and could yield untold technological discovery,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWi-Fi is already an integral part of our everyday lives; we must meet current demand and put in place a plan to meet growing needs,\u201d continued Matsui. \u201cThe Wi-Fi Innovation Act will require the FCC to develop and adopt a testing process to evaluate the feasibility of sharing in the 5GHz band. It is my hope that the FCC will use this opportunity to produce hard data that can be relied upon during decision-making on the future of the 5GHz band. It is our responsibility to ensure that the U.S. continues to be the center for technology and innovation, and spectrum will be necessary to achieve this.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Wi-Fi Innovation Act directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct tests within the 5 GHz spectrum band to determine if spectrum can be shared without interfering with current users.\u00a0The bill also acknowledges ongoing efforts related to the development of critical safety applications in vehicles and other intelligent transportation initiatives and creates a study to examine the barriers to Wi-Fi deployment in low-income areas.<\/p>\n