The FCC expands 3.5GHz band to 5G and opens 6GHz band to future wi-fi

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3 to1 on 23 October 2018 to settle the question of how the ‘mid-band’ radio spectrum in the US would be managed, and what the future would look like. The FCC commissioners’ vote will now make the 3.5GHz band available for use in 5G networks. In a separate vote, the commissioners decided to expand the 6GHz band to next-generation of wi-fi devices.The FCC is creating 15 channels within the 3.5 GHZ band; seven will be put on auction to priority access licenses; and the remaining eight will be available for general access. The US Navy will maintain priority across the band wherever and whenever it needs.