Everyone’s favorite Wi-Fi/unlicensed spectrum newsletter is BACK for a second season with some familiar faces — and some NEW experts have also entered the chat!
To kick off this season, we kept it fun, lighthearted and poignant with our experts answering the following question: What’s an example of an unlicensed-run device that you personally use, and how has it improved your life?
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us online as schools, work and other daily tasks were shuttered. However, not every household had the proper resources to address the sudden and overwhelming need for reliable internet connectivity. Millions of Americans lost access to the institutions they relied on for internet at a time when connectivity was a necessity – requiring an immediate solution. Read More “How Libraries Became the Ultimate Wi-Fi Hotspots in COVID “
Last year, WifiForward created the Wi-Fi At Work Awards to highlight all the good that Wi-Fi has done across the country. The awards honored individuals and organizations who used Wi-Fi in creative ways to bring relief through connectivity to their communities during the pandemic.
In the end, we honored 16 awardees who all did amazing work to connect communities across the U.S. — from equipping vaccine centers with Wi-Fi overnight to distributing thousands of hotspots. We also hosted a webinar, wrote a blog, featured winners each week on Twitter and more. Read More “WifiForward Launches Second Annual #WiFiAtWork Awards — Nominate Today!”
Last week, the Federalist Society presented a panel titled “Spectrum Policy in the 5G Era,” discussing the current state of spectrum, disputes over spectrum allocation and the United States’ position as a global leader in this space. Read More “Spectrum Policy in the 5G Era”
Unlicensed on the Hill: Highlights of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s 5G Hearing
The House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing last week titled “5G And Beyond: Exploring the Next Wireless Frontier.” Committee members heard testimony from key industry leaders, broadband experts and policy advisors on America’s wireless future and the benefits of the increasingly mobile economy.
Read More “Unlicensed on the Hill: Highlights of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s 5G Hearing”
Beep, beep, beep. Did your morning start with an alarm you set on your smartphone? Is that smartphone connected to Wi-Fi? We’re willing to bet it is. According to the 2021 Wi-Fi Trends Report published by Comcast, the company connected nearly 1 billion devices last year, and more than a third of those Wi-Fi-connected devices were smartphones: nearly 347 million, to be exact, an increase of 23 times from 2018. Read More “A Day In An American Wi-Fi Life”
It finally happened! After 2 years of webinars, WifiForward hosted its first in-person event with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) on Thursday, March 3, entitled “From Garage Door Openers to Wi-Fi: The Value of Unlicensed Spectrum.” The event featured keynotes from Reps. Bob Latta (OH-5) and Jerry McNerney (CA-9) and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.
Additionally, we had a panel of industry experts — Microsoft’s Paula Boyd, Cisco’s Mary Brown and Broadcom’s Robert Hoffman — who discussed the economic and social benefits of opening the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use. Read More “Reps. Latta and McNerney and FCC Cmr. Carr Tout Unlicensed Spectrum, 6 GHz as WifiForward and CTA Host In-Person Event”
The Consumer Technology Association® and WifiForward invite you to join us next Thursday for “From Garage Door Openers to Wi-Fi: The Value of Unlicensed Spectrum,” an event featuring remarks from Congressional Wi-Fi Caucus co-chairs Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Jerry McNerney (D-CA), and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.
Remarks will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by J. David Grossman of CTA. The panel will include industry experts: Paula Boyd, Senior Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs for Microsoft; Mary Brown, Director of Government Affairs at Cisco Systems; and Robert Hoffman, Head of Government Affairs at Broadcom. Read More “Join Us Next Week At CTA’s Innovation House”
We presented this issue to our bank of knowledgeable industry experts for their thoughts in FrequencyPulse.
Our question was, In 2020, the FCC voted to unlock a big swath of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for use by Wi-Fi. How will this decision affect consumers?
This week, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks spoke with Linda Hardesty of FierceWireless at the Fierce Wi-Fi Summit, highlighting all the benefits that opening the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use will have for Americans across the country. But before he even jumped into all the good the recently opened band has to offer, Starks emphasized that “with 6 GHz, Wi-Fi is really getting its biggest upgrade in nearly 20 years.” Read More “Pick Six: FCC Commissioner Starks Touts Benefits of 6 GHz Band”