Verizon is pushing for phones to be equipped with technology to make use of unlicensed spectrum to speed up the internet and clear congestion, but not everybody’s happy.
That sounds great, say Google, Microsoft, Comcast, and others, except for one thing. The proposed system, called LTE in Unlicensed Spectrum or LTE-U, which relies on a combination of new, small cell towers and home wireless routers, risks disrupting the existing Wi-Fi access most people enjoy. For several months, the three companies have been among a group lobbying the Federal Communications Commission to delay LTE-U’s adoption pending further tests. All three declined to comment for this story, referring instead to an Oct. 23 FCC filing they joined that claims LTE-U “has avoided the long-proven standards-setting process and would substantially degrade consumer Wi-Fi service across the country.”
Let me put it like this: since the intricacies and specifics of wireless technology and its possible interactions are far beyond my own personal comprehension, I’ll just make the safe bet and side with whomever is opposing the carriers, which in this case are Microsoft and Google, and Comcast.
…oh.
It is painful when you have to choose between one set of greedy monopolist-wannabees and another.
But in this case, I would play it conservatively when it comes to messing with the finite wireless spectrum, especially one of the few uncommercial uses of it (i.e. Wi-Fi).
As a radio enthusiast and hardware hacker, I can say with authority that Google, Microsoft, and Comcast do have a case here. Not only will it interfere with 5GHz “ac” wireless, it can also interfere with amateur radio communications in that spectrum.
I do like what Verizon is trying to do here, but they need to stop rushing it and concede to more testing and analysis before pushing it out, to ensure they won’t interfere with established services. And, the FCC needs to step up and do their due diligence before blessing LTE-U.
Now excuse me while I go shower off the icky feeling from taking Google’s, Microsoft’s, and especially Comcast’s side on this.
Morgan,
Not sure if the article is just painting a biased picture, but it kind of portrays the FCC as not really interested in doing their job. “Closely Monitoring”??? I would really think they should be the ones in the lead conducting fully independent trials. If they’re not doing this it just seems like they’re inviting corruption.
Edited 2015-12-08 06:06 UTC
It’s pretty well known in the industry that 5GHz is the most desirable band for LTE-U.
http://www.lightreading.com/mobile/carrier-wifi/jury-still-out-on-l…
Nonsense …
The 5ghz (5cm) amateur band is licensed.
They are miles apart.
Also LTE-U doesn’t have to use 5 ghz perse.
There are even talks about opening up the old 900mhz spectrum for this application.
Anyway, i actually own and run a company that specializes in wireless surveys, designs, etc.
In areas where LTE-U and wifi will sit in the same band, it will absolutely interfere with wifi, there is no doubt about it.
A nearby LTE-U station will trip the energy detect on an AP just like any other source of interference.
Add to that the fact that your AP can’t demod the signal, it won’t know what it is, so it will just stay quiet until the signal dies down.
If it were another wifi AP (on the same channel), it would know about it. It would listen and start transmitting when the other AP is done.
Anyway, this is a bad idea altogether.
It’s just some big co trying to lock in others.
There is tons of spectrum in the microwave bands.
We should look into opening more spectrum to ISM.
So we are in agreement then.
LTE-U will take down all WiFi signals, I have no doubt. I have tested 5GHz PtoP radios utilizing the LTE chipset. They are very robust and every signal nearby in the same channel is knocked down (this includes radios I use in the unlicensed spectrum that are not based on WiFi chipsets, DFS or not). Depending on power output it could also cause interfence in nearby bands as well. There should be a new frequency band released for LTE similar to how 3.65 came out. Maybe repurpose 3.65 for this application.
I believe that the not so near future is LTE. Cost (10x + for equipment I have tested) and interference with existing technologies, are the only things in my mind that hold it back.
I am against Verizon on this issue.
Kinda makes my skin crawl. I can only assume they oppose this because it will interfere with their doomsday device.
Most people (especially lawmakers and companies selling services on licensed spectrum) fail to understrand how easy it is to overcrowd the unlicensed bands. They think that just because we have spread spectrum, we can have as many devices we want on the same band with a minor or mediocre hit on perfomance.
Don’t want to think what happens when every Verizon phone user is a hotspot.
Edited 2015-12-08 15:16 UTC
The problem is the top 3 companies own all the licensed spectrum and no one can compete for that. Except for companies that make creative use of unlicensed spectrum using narrow beam hand installed antennas. WISPS. This tech world be good if licensed spectrum was available to pair with it. The solution would be to extend the spectrum ownership cap of licensed to included unlicensed use meaning, that the juggernaut companies that own huge amounts of spectrum would not be allowed to pair unlicensed bands with LTE but only be able to use them like the rest of the industry for wifi or pure unlicensed devices that must play fairly.
The more wifi they break, the more you’ll have to use your mobile data and the more money they make.