FCC approves WiFi on steroids, aka super WiFi

[Emil]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted unanimously (five to nil) in favor of using unlicensed whitespace airwaves for what it calls "WiFi on steroids" or "super WiFi." The opening of these unused television airwaves for mobile broadband should result in new, faster wireless devices. The move is the FCC's first significant release of unlicensed spectrum in 25 years. The reason for the super/steroids name is simple: the frequencies allow signals to travel farther, require fewer acce...

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[Chazz]

This is very interesting. I look forward to see what's done with this.

 

[motrin]

does this mean fast internet even out in the boonies? one can only hope...

 

[Guest]

I am surprised comcast and all the other companies like that didn't try and stop this or maybe they are planning on doing it in the furture.

 

[Guest]

"the frequencies allow signals to travel faster"

This statement is rubbish, pure rubbish.

Radio waves at any frequency travel at 186000 miles per second.. period.

 

[matrix86]

Guest said:
I am surprised comcast and all the other companies like that didn't try and stop this or maybe they are planning on doing it in the furture.

Why stop it when you can charge extra for super wifi? You have to think like a business man, lol.

 

[mattfrompa]

It's Comcastic!!!...bastards...

 

[SNGX1275]

"the frequencies allow signals to travel faster"

This statement is rubbish, pure rubbish.

Radio waves at any frequency travel at 186000 miles per second.. period.

That was my first thought as well. But I suspect they meant something analogous to like dial up, the first modems were really slow, but on the same phone lines many years later people were getting 56.6ish speeds. So even though the technology in the lines didn't really change the speeds you could achieve did. Perhaps there is some benefit in the frequencies they are going to release that allow faster data transfer speeds.

 

[thatguyandrew92]

2 questions. (I know nothing about this stuff)
What if someone needs that space back?
Why can't there be more frequencies?

 

[Julio Franco]

It seems that statement was factually wrong, or perhaps a typo on Emil's part, which I have now corrected.

"Super Wi-Fi" will be all about covering much larger distances, think kilometers, albeit at diminished speeds (10-20 mbps) compared to current Wi-Fi peaks.

 

[Guest]

Get ready for a flood of new advertising sales-pitches by every ISP / TV service and more !