The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has heard the pleas of tech giants like Google and Meta, but this might also be good for the rest of us. The FCC has voted unanimously to open up a new slice of 6GHz spectrum for high-speed wireless communication. This could support the development of improved augmented and virtual reality devices and make the rest of your gadgets more interconnected.
The new approval adds 850MHz of spectrum to the open access block specifically for "very low power" (VLP) operations. Most devices using this new spectrum will operate at low power to avoid interfering with licensed 6GHz usage. However, the new rules (PDF) allow manufacturers to use higher power signals with some limits. These products support geofencing to ensure they do not run in high-power mode in areas where interference would occur. 6GHz signals don't travel as far as 5GHz and 2.4GHz, so it should be possible to access signals in most places without causing problems.
The 6GHz band has been available in some capacity for several years. Previously, the FCC opened 1,200MHz of this wireless spectrum up for use in recent Wi-Fi standards—both Wi-Fi 6e and 7 support the 6GHz band, which supports extremely high throughput. The lower congestion on 6GHz can also be a boon in busy wireless environments.
This update to wireless regulation won't change anything about how your router works, even if you're using the 6GHz band. Well, provided you don't get any VLP devices too close to the access point. This hardware will be designed for short-range data transfer and communication. For example, a VR headset could connect directly to a computer or phone via a 6GHz connection instead of a cable. Current wireless display options are hamstrung by network congestion and middling speeds. It might also be useful for keeping data in sync across your devices. When accessing the "internet of things," a 6GHz may also provide a faster, more robust direct connection than Bluetooth or Thread.
Tech firms started asking the FCC to make this change in 2019, so there's pent-up demand. The interest in 6GHz for VR and AR has been tied up in the now-defunct metaverse hype, but more connectivity for these bandwidth-hungry devices isn't a bad thing. Some smart devices with updatable firmware and 6GHz radios might be able to take advantage of VLP transmissions soon, but we won't see the full impact until new devices are built with this technology in mind.
