The FCC’s 5.9 GHz Order is an important step forward that will quickly unleash faster, better Wi-Fi for American consumers at a time when they need it most.   “The 5.9 GHz band will transform the Wi-Fi experience and bring faster speeds and greater capacity to consumers in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FCC’s plan for the 5.9 GHz band will transform the Wi-Fi experience, extending faster speeds and greater capacity to consumers across the country. “The Commission’s upcoming action to open 5.9 GHz for unlicensed use represents a critical opportunity for consumers because, with the right rules in place, we will be able to leverage the 5 GHz Wi-Fi ecosystem already in place to deploy use of the new band very quickly,” said Craig Cowden, Senior Vice President of Wireless Technology at Charter Communications.

Wi-Fi is an engine of US economic growth and an important part of consumers’ everyday lives, especially as we increasingly depend on connectivity to do more remotely. As Americans navigate a new reality brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen demand for high-speed, reliable Wi-Fi access grow higher than ever before. Whether working, learning, or accessing healthcare and other critical resources, staying connected from a distance and in real-time requires robust and ubiquitous connectivity – with Wi-Fi carrying majority of the weight.

As American consumers and businesses transition to a world increasingly reliant on seamless connectivity, the allocation of our national spectrum resource – and valuable mid-band spectrum in particular – is increasingly vital. A healthy 5G ecosystem requires a balance of licensed and unlicensed spectrum, and through its 5G FAST Plan, the FCC is making that happen.

American consumers and businesses are increasingly reliant on seamless connectivity, and Charter’s investment in CBRS priority access licenses (PALs) will further enhance our technology, infrastructure, and customer experience. Spectrum Mobile is the nation’s fastest-growing mobile provider, offering customers value, flexibility, and quality connectivity. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than ever before, Americans appreciate the critical role Wi-Fi plays in their daily lives. The FCC’s action on 6 GHz will transform the Wi-Fi experience, bringing multi-gigabit speeds to American homes, businesses, hospitals, schools, and more, and this investment in innovation will have a transformative and long-lasting impact on communities of all sizes across the country.

With millions of Americans relying on broadband networks to remain connected and productive while practicing social distancing, the need for Wi-Fi sharing in 6 GHz has never been more clear to more people. The FCC’s proposed 6 GHz Order will open up critical resources to improve Wi-Fi performance as workers, students, patients, healthcare providers, and financial institutions rely increasingly on online connectivity.

“Charter commends the FCC and Chairman Pai for today’s actions on C-band and 3.5 GHz spectrum, both of which recognize the importance of making more mid-band spectrum available to meet consumers’ growing connectivity needs. The Commission’s action to make important C-Band spectrum available through a public auction will enable and promote deployment of advanced wireless services, including 5G, while also protecting the ability for video providers to deliver video services to customers.

“The FCC Chairman announced a balanced plan that achieves many goals, including promoting 5G and protecting the transmission of video signals. We particularly commend the Chairman for proposing a public auction to allocate this valuable national spectrum resource as this tested, transparent, and market-based approach will enable new entrants to be successful, ensure widespread deployment of 5G including to rural areas, and contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. Treasury even after accelerated incentive and relocation payments.”

“Charter applauds Chairman Pai and the FCC for moving forward with an NPRM on 5.9 GHz and appreciates Commissioners O’Rielly and Rosenworcel’s longstanding commitment to opening this band for unlicensed use. By making a portion of this highly-valuable band available for unlicensed use after decades of under-utilization, today’s action sets the stage for innovations like ultra-fast, high capacity, multigigabit WiFi that will power connected classrooms, smart homes and remote healthcare for the benefit of consumers.”

“Charter is thrilled that the FCC will introduce a proposal to put the highly-valuable 5.9 GHz spectrum to use after decades of under-utilization. We commend Chairman Pai for identifying  a reasonable compromise and Commissioners O’Rielly and Rosenworcel for their longstanding commitment to opening the band for unlicensed use.

Consumers’ reliance on and demand for WiFi continues to grow as we enter a more connected 5G world. In fact, demand for WiFi is already at an all-time high and policymakers are rightfully considering how to enhance this critical technology to meet current and future connectivity needs of consumers, businesses and critical infrastructure.

“We applaud the FCC’s decision to use a public auction to allocate this valuable national spectrum resource as this tested, transparent and market-based approach will enable new entrants to be successful, ensure widespread deployment of 5G including to rural areas, and contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. Treasury.”

Charter appreciates Representatives Mike Doyle, Bill Johnson, Doris Matsui, and Greg Gianforte for recognizing that a fair and transparent auction run by the FCC is the most efficient and effective means of making valuable C-band spectrum available for the widespread deployment of 5G and delivering the benefits of the next generation of broadband connectivity to communities in urban and rural America alike.

Broadband can provide life-changing opportunities and Charter is continually investing in our network to deliver faster and better broadband to more people in more places, whether they live in big cities or rural America. Part of those investments include conducting trials of new and innovative technologies that will enhance connectivity and provide opportunities for consumers, businesses and our economy in the years to come.

By Craig Cowden, Senior Vice President Wireless Engineering, Charter Communications As one of the country’s leading connectivity providers and largest ISPs, Charter appreciates the tremendous value Wifi provides our customers today and how it will power the technological innovations of the future. Today, Charter’s Wifi network serves more than 300 million wireless devices, many of which are smart phones provided by cellular companies, and carries 80 percent of the data consumed on those devices in our customers’ homes and offices.

“Today’s action by the FCC, which adopts improved licensing rules for the 3.5 GHz band, is an important step forward for next generation connectivity including 5G. We thank Chairman Pai and Commissioner Mike O’Rielly for their leadership on this issue. The 3.5 GHz band is an important component of Charter’s mobile strategy and also has the potential to provide a cost-effective solution for delivering fixed wireless broadband, including in rural areas.

Charter is investing in innovative wireless technologies like 5G and multi-gigabit WiFi to enable us to deliver high capacity, high compute, low latency connectivity to our customers in urban, suburban and rural communities. That is why we were pleased to participate last week in the White House’s 5G summit and today we welcome the FCC’s proposals to make spectrum in the 6GHz and 3.5GHz bands available for licensed and unlicensed use.

Charter has conducted extensive mobility trials that involve testing fixed wireless access technologies which Charter believes could potentially be used to extend the reach of our existing network to provide cost-effective, wireline-like connectivity to more rural areas.

The next generation of connectivity will rely on a variety of technologies. That’s why Charter is leveraging our existing infrastructure in conjunction with new technologies.

“Charter applauds the Federal Communications Commission for fueling American innovation by making more 5G spectrum available. Today’s actions lay the foundation for companies like Charter to build a future of ubiquitous connectivity for our customers and successfully compete in the global race to 5G.”

This week, Charter welcomed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to tour one of our network operations facilities and see a demonstration of evolved wireless 3.5 GHz testing sites in Tampa. Our operations team showed him around the Regional Operations Center [ROC] and, with our wireless engineers, visited sites where we are testing small cells using the 3.5 GHz or Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band.

“Charter applauds the Federal Communications Commission for continuing to prioritize spectrum availability for the next generation of wireless connectivity that will position the U.S. to compete on the global stage in the race to 5G. Today’s Public Notice seeking comment on procedures for upcoming auctions in the 28 GHz and 24 GHz bands is an important step towards increasing the amount of spectrum commercially available for 5G.

Charter is continuously investing in our networks to better serve our customers across our 41 state footprint. A key part of these investments is delivering the next generation of broadband. Last year, Charter committed to invest $25 billion in capital infrastructure by 2020. Already those investments have meant we’ve been able to extend the reach of our high-speed broadband network including to underserved and unserved homes and businesses in rural areas like Lakeview, Oregon, Meeker, Colorado, and communities across New York State.

“Charter applauds today’s FCC vote making additional high band spectrum available as well as maintaining the unlicensed allocation of the 64-71 GHz band. As part of our transition to a full mobility network, we are conducting tests in the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies and exploring how they can be used to enhance the quality, capacity and speed of our wireless service. Charter looks forward to continuing to work with the FCC to adopt spectrum licensing rules that facilitate new entrants in the wireless marketplace.”

“With the right licensing rules, Charter believes the 3.5 GHz band could be a key component of our wireless strategy and provide a cost effective solution for delivering fixed wireless broadband in rural areas. We have already made significant investments in robust trials using this spectrum and look forward to working with the Commission as it refines the rules hoping that any changes support the goals of promoting wireless competition, investment and quick deployment.”

Today, the FCC began an exciting Notice of Inquiry that will explore new ways to help spur next-generation wireless broadband services. The new inquiry will ask questions about how to use mid-band spectrum between 3.7 GHz and 24 GHz, and will be crucial for those of us working to develop wireless technology to efficiently and effectively deliver ultra-fast, low latency broadband for consumers.