In case you missed it, recently, a group of bipartisan, bicameral members of Congress, including Senators Pete Ricketts and Jacky Rosen, along with Congressmen Bob Latta and Troy Carter, relaunched the Congressional Wi-Fi Caucus.

Originally founded in 2018, the Caucus is dedicated to helping Members of Congress understand how Wi-Fi benefits American consumers, strengthens the economy, and reinforces U.S. global leadership.

As Senator Ricketts emphasized in a statement about the caucus, “Supporting American technologies is the best way to combat Communist China. We must strengthen domestic access to Wi-Fi to promote innovation and avoid reliance on foreign networks.”

The Caucus’s formation sends a clear message: Wi-Fi is important to all Americans, and Congress is paying attention. Keep reading to learn why.

 

The Importance of Lower 7 GHz for Wi-Fi 

The average American household today uses more than 20 connected devices at home, with many supporting far more. Streaming, gaming, remote work, telehealth, online learning, and immersive applications all rely on Wi-Fi, and congestion is already a concern.

Today, 17–30 million Americans live in Wi-Fi-congested areas. Without additional spectrum, an additional 54 million people could face congestion within five years, threatening reliability, productivity, and trillions of dollars in economic value, as well as millions of jobs.

The industry’s latest generation of technology – Wi-Fi 7 – is fully utilizing wide channels that enable greater capacity, faster speeds, and lower latency. Opening the “lower 7GHz band” (7125-7250 MHz) would further boost Wi-Fi 7 networks by enabling a fourth 320 MHz-wide channel.  Opening 7 GHz spectrum above 7250 MHz could enable five such channels. These allocations are needed to ensure Wi-Fi 7 keeps pace with increased consumer needs and would relieve congested areas.

While the cellular giants will try to convince you that they need lower 7 GHz for exclusive licensed use, the reality is that it’s poorly suited for cellular networks – and perfectly suited for Wi-Fi:

Opening up 7 GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi use will:

• Allow for efficient sharing with federal agencies: Wi-Fi is designed to securely share spectrum and avoid interference, which means agencies like NASA and the Department of Defense don’t have to reallocate their vital satellites.
• Promote U.S. national security: Wi-Fi can be introduced in 7 GHz without moving federal incumbents– including systems vital to our national and homeland security.
• Put U.S. interests first: The Chinese Communist Party is pressuring other countries to wall off the 7 GHz band for high-power 5G to maximize Huawei’s and ZTE’s market share, all while undercutting U.S. technological and economic leadership.

 

What’s Next: Keeping the Momentum Going  

Unlocking the lower 7 GHz band for unlicensed use is critical to maintaining Wi-Fi functionality as demand continues to grow. More unlicensed spectrum means faster speeds and better performance for homes and businesses.

With the relaunch of the bipartisan Wi-Fi Caucus, Congress has a clear chance to act and support the networks Americans rely on every day. Without action, congestion will continue to worsen as more devices and data move over Wi-Fi.

The next generation of Wi-Fi is here. Now it’s time to put it to use.

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