The FCC has made some rule changes intended to open up 100 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHZ band for WiFi. The Commission adopted a Report and Order modifying the rules governing the operation of Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices operating in the 5 GHz band.

Currently U-NII devices operate in 555 MHz of spectrum in the 5 GHz band and are used for WiFi and other high-speed wireless connections. The new rules remove the current restriction on indoor-only use and increase the permissible power. The changes are expected to improve access in the 5.150-5.250 GHz band and also to allow U-NII devices to better integrate with other unlicensed portions of the 5 GHz band to offer faster speeds and reduce congestion at crowded WiFi hot spots.

The Commission also modified certain technical rules to improve protection for incumbent systems by requiring manufacturers to secure their devices against illegal modifications that could cause interference to incumbent users in the band.