The US FCC Announces Plans for Boosted Throughput on 6GHz Wireless with GVP Technology
Geofenced variable power (GVP) would unlock more throughput for augmented and virtual reality, the IoT, and more, says the FCC.
The chair of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, has announced plans to vote in favor of an order that will expand unlicensed use of the 6GHz radio-frequency spectrum band — allowing for higher-power transmission using geofenced variable power (GVP) control.
"We will vote on an order that expands unlicensed operations in the 6GHz band so that consumers can benefit from better, faster Wi-Fi and an entirely new generation of wireless devices—from AR/VR [Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality] and IoT [Internet of Things] to a range of innovative smart devices," Carr announced this week of his organization's plans for the immediate future. "We will do so through a set of forward-looking regulations that allow devices to operate at higher power while protecting incumbent users, including through geofencing systems."
Those "geofencing systems" are known as "geofenced variable power," or GVP — a system by which a transmitter can exceed otherwise-permitted license-free power levels providing it isn't in an area where such transmissions would interfere with critical systems. This, the FCC says, will considerably boost data rates for use cases including augmented and virtual reality systems, short-range Wi-Fi hotspots, indoor location and navigation systems, and industrial automation systems. "These benefits will be made possible by restricting GVP devices from operating in exclusion zones on certain frequencies," the announcement explains, "to protect incumbent licensed services from any significant risk of harmful interference."
At the same time, the FCC has announced plans to open a request-for-comment on proposals for increased utility for unlicensed devices in the 6GHz bands — via an approach which would allow composite standard-power and low-power indoor (LPI) access points to operate at higher power levels "under certain circumstances." The same proposal would allow for the use of LPI access points on cruise ships, the organization's announcement says.
No date has been announced for the comment period, nor for the vote on the 6GHz band.