World Wi-Fi Day is recognized each year on June 20. So yes, we missed it by a couple of days.
Wi-Fi is one of those things we take for granted, so it’s useful to be reminded occasionally that Wi-Fi is a thing, that not long ago we didn’t have it, and that we must support policies necessary to preserve its incredible benefits.
Just to level set: The Federal Communications Commission has authority from Congress to free up and then release bands of spectrum for use in communications.
Usually, when we hear about these spectrum releases, it’s spectrum auctions, where companies pay millions of dollars to the federal government to secure portions of licensed spectrum, which will be used exclusively by those companies. We need regular releases of licensed spectrum to support the continued growth of our mobile lifestyles and economy. And Lord knows the Treasury Department needs the money.
But we also need spectrum set aside for unlicensed use, which is where Wi-Fi lives. Wi-Fi travels over “unlicensed” spectrum, which means it’s available to everyone, not just the owners of proprietary spectrum.
Almost 90% of the traffic on your mobile device travels over Wi-Fi rather than over licensed spectrum. That’s because we tend to use our phones more for data than for voice traffic, though even a surprising amount of voice communication is carried over Wi-Fi, whether through Wi-Fi calling on your mobile phone or the many Zoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet and FaceTime meetings we all depend upon now.
Increasingly, our devices communicate with other devices through Wi-Fi. Right now, my air conditioner and furnace, water heater, home battery back-up and home security system all communicate via Wi-Fi. My propane gas company knows when to refill the tank via Wi-Fi. It seems that Wi-Fi is the basic network we all use most of the time.
But even though Wi-Fi carries more than three times the amount of data that travels over licensed proprietary spectrum, each time new spectrum is anticipated, Wi-Fi is on the defensive.
Since unlicensed spectrum is, well, unlicensed, that means there’s no auction and thus no money for the Treasury Department. Unlicensed spectrum thus needs defending on its merits, not on its tax revenue-generating potential. But as we’ve pointed out, the merits of Wi-Fi are many.
Remember, the internet is a “network of networks.” For a healthy communications ecosystem, we need fiber backhaul, copper where necessary, and both licesed and unlicensed wireless spectrum. Auction revenue matters, but it should not be the final determinant of spectrum policy. If policymakers want the connected economy to keep working for consumers, homes, businesses and innovators, they must continue making the world safe for Wi-Fi.