FCC, Google cast eye over millimetre wireless

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is firing up an investigation into millimetre-wave frequency spectrum allocations, and Google has filed an application to fool around with the same band.

The FCC “notice of inquiry” is intended to work out what the US's regulatory response will be to the use of frequencies beyond 24 GHz, which are being eyed by technologists as important to getting squeezing the kind of performance touted for 5G technologies.

Reuters reports that the investigation would look at what approaches will “help get around the technological and practical obstacles” to mm-wave deployments, as well as the kinds of services the bands will suit.

The Wireless Association's president Meredith Baker responded by pressing “publish” on a blog post welcoming the move, saying that while the industry in America needs more sub-3 GHz spectrum, “we also need to expand our search to find other complementary spectrum bands”.

Google is of like mind, it seems: last week, The Chocolate Factory filed a request with the FCC to run tests in California across a number of bands: 5.8 GHz, 24.2 GHz, 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz.

That has sparked speculation that Mountain View wants something other than (or complementary to) its fibre deployments to get gigabit services to American homes. However, these tests won't be anything to soak the Google backbone, since its application with the FCC is for narrowband transmissions.

That detail led wireless engineer Stephen Crowley to tell Reuters Google might be doing something as simple as collecting data on propagation characteristics of different frequencies.

The Register would add that Google's keen interest in the Internet of Things would also sit comfortably alongside an interest in understanding short-range wireless technologies. ®