FCC looks to higher frequencies for 5G mobile

Frequencies once considered useless for most mobile services could start showing up on phones and other devices in a few years under a plan by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. 

On Thursday, the FCC adopted a proposal to make four high-frequency spectrum bands available for services including mobile voice and data and machine-to-machine communication, or the Internet of Things. Though some of those bands are already used for technologies such as satellite, they have never been approved for regular mobile service.

All told, the new bands include 3,850MHz of spectrum, enough to fuel so-called 5G mobile technologies that are expected to include high speed, low latency and support for many more connected devices in crowded areas, according to the FCC. The U.S. led the world in adoption of 4G LTE, and implementing the new frequencies will help maintain that leadership, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said at the Commission's monthly public meeting on Thursday.

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