On June 28, 2021, WifiForward hosted a fireside chat with Commissioner Simington and Deborah Collier, Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at Citizens Against Government Waste, as a part of our ongoing Wi-Fi at Work series. During the event, the Commissioner spoke on his support for spectrum policies that account for our growing Wi-Fi needs — and that includes support for the 5.9 GHz order.

 

In today’s highly partisan climate, the 5.9 GHz order is a bright spot. In November 2020, the FCC adopted new rules for the 5.9 GHz band which freed up 45 MHz of spectrum to create a new 160 MHz channel for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use. The order was a “big bipartisan victory” and was supported unanimously by the entire commission. 

While the vote took place before he joined the FCC, Commissioner Simington expressed his disappointment in being unable to vote on it because he “favors” it and would like to see it “remain in place and come to fruition.” He also said that he hopes the Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) industry and the Department of Transportation will be unsuccessful “in rolling back” parts of the order. 

Connecting Americans to high-speed Wi-Fi is an uncontroversial goal, and we applaud the bipartisanship at the Commission that will make this happen. 

To watch the webinar in full and hear additional remarks from Commissioner Simington, follow this link.