Eleven gigahertz of high-frequency spectrum is now available for use in mobile broadband technologies, after the FCC on Thursday created the Upper Microwave Flexible Use service in the 28GHz, 37GHz and 39GHz band, along with a new unlicensed band, even higher up the spectrum, in the 64-71GHz range.
The move was greeted with delight from the U.S. telecom industry, which said that the opening of new spectrum is a critical step on the road to 5G wireless technology. The millimeter-wave bands – those between 30GHz and 300GHz – are central to the development of 5G, and the U.S. is now the first country to designate those frequencies for commercial use.
