A group of U.S. senators has written to Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler, urging him to ensure that LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) does not interfere with WiFi.
As its full name suggests, LTE-U is a means of using unlicensed spectrum to increase the amount of available network capacity for cellular communications. The 5 GHz band, which is increasingly used for WiFi networks, is seen as a strong candidate for LTE-U.
In May, the FCC launched a consultation in a bid to find out how LTE-U will coexist with WiFi.
In a joint letter sent last week, senators Brian Schatz, Richard Blumenthal, Tom Udall, Ed Markey, Maria Cantwell, and Claire McCaskill called for more oversight of unlicensed airwaves.
"Consumers and the larger wireless ecosystem have come to rely greatly on WiFi and other unlicensed technologies," the senators said.
However, "at this juncture, stakeholders have indicated that there is an absence of consensus as to the likely real-world effect on millions of WiFi devices by carrier-scale deployment of these LTE technologies," they warned. "We are concerned that without proper coordination and management, LTE-U may harm WiFi operations. Thus, we support continued FCC oversight and leadership in this area in order to protect consumers from potential harm."
The senators asked the FCC to facilitate a process that will enable the industry to develop an effective solution to avoid interference.
"We’re pleased that these senators are calling on the FCC to take action on this imp ortant issue," said Charles Duan, staff attorney at consumer lobbyist Public Knowledge.
"WiFi is incredibly important to numerous consumer technologies. Nearly every laptop, smartphone, and Internet-enabled device relies on WiFi and other similarly open technologies," he continued, adding that FCC action is necessary to protect unlicensed spectrum.
"We are troubled to see developments like LTE-U that might interfere with or even drown out existing WiFi devices," Duan said.
