Wi-Fi Alliance praises proposed Jumpstart Broadband Act
The Wi-Fi Alliance, in conjunction with the Information Technology Industry Council, Wednesday sent a letter of support to Senator Allen R-Va., and Senator Boxer, D-Calif., commending their introduction of the Jumpstart Broadband Act of 2003.
Introduced on Jan. 14, the legislation would, among other things, require the Federal Communications Commission to allocate 255 MHz of radio spectrum in the 5 GHz band for devices that would include 802.11a systems. The Wi-Fi Alliance says the law would expand the range of frequencies available for Wi-Fi products, while ensuring that wireless network devices operating in the 5 GHz band protect Department of Defense radar systems already using the spectrum.
The Wi-Fi Alliance previously filed a petition for rulemaking with the Federal Communications Commission seeking allocation of a similar amount of spectrum on January 16, 2002. In addition, the global allocation of spectrum in the 5 GHz band for radio-based local area networks, such as IEEE 802.11a devices, will be under consideration at the upcoming World Radio Conference in 2003.