WiFi to get 5G airwaves boost as carmakers lose choice spectrum

US households increasingly are using WiFi to connect to the Internet, and demand is growing. — AFP

The US Federal Communications Commission is poised to vote on Nov 18 to let wireless devices use airwaves assigned 21 years ago for a vehicle safety system that hasn’t come to fruition, rejecting carmakers’ efforts to hold onto the frequencies.

The change, set for a vote at the FCC in Washington, follows years of rearguard lobbying by carmakers such as Ford Motor Co and General Motors Co to retain their exclusive hold on the rich airwaves swath they were allotted in 1999.