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World Radiocommunications Group OKs New WLAN Spectrum

BenFranske writes "The World Radiocommunications Conference will allow a portion of spectrum in the 5GHz band to be used for WLANs, a decision hailed as a 'defining moment' for the WLAN industry. Although this doesn't impact the US much as this spectrum is already being used for wireless networking here, this will help standardize the frequencies worldwide."

17 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Foil Cap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    How does the standard aluminum foil cap hold up to this spectrum? Will the government be able to beam thoughts into my head?

    Please reply by brainwave transmission, as I don't read this forum much.

    1. Re:Foil Cap by stinky+wizzleteats · · Score: 5, Funny

      Please reply by brainwave transmission, as I don't read this forum much.

      You are filled with an angry wave of disgust at how tinfoil hat jokes continue to get modded up.

  2. 802.11a? by localghost · · Score: 4, Interesting

    802.11a uses this already, does it not? Was it not allowed internationally already or something?

  3. Contain Indoors? by WC+as+Kato · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The final WRC decision on 5-GHz WLAN spectrum said countries should take "appropriate measures" to restrict use of the 5250-to-5350-MHz bands to indoor use.

    Now, how are you going to do that? Around my house I detect 3 wireless networks running and none of them are mine. Don't tell me that I need to wrap my house with aluminum foil either!

    --
    --- I'm Green Hornet's sidekick not Inspector Clouseau's!
  4. 5Ghz.. it is the future! by bethane · · Score: 5, Informative
    The 5gig band is much better for wireless communication than the cluttered 2.4Ghz band. Some of the main advantages of 5GHz:

    Due to the nature of 5GHz waves it is very resilliant to interference.

    Aroung 4/5 time the data carrying capacity of 2.4GHz band.

    19 non-overlapping channels compared to the 3 non overlapping channels for 2.4GIG

    A true multimedia experience is possible with the ability to stream video and hi-fi audio.
    I'd love to see 5GHz transmitter be allowed greater power so we could reach comparable distances to that of 2.4GHz.

    --


    Bethanie: Whore...
    Fan Whore
    1. Re:5Ghz.. it is the future! by Raindance · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Could you, or someone familiar with the characteristics of high frequency waves, detail any downsides of using the 5Ghz band?

      As I understand it, it'll have shorter range and/or less forgiving of objects in the way (less able to difract around corners as well). Fairly key in home networking!

    2. Re:5Ghz.. it is the future! by CausticWindow · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Yes, there are many technical advantages of 5Ghz compared to 2.4Ghz.

      The problem is the health risk associated with these frequencies. When you reach these kind of frequencies, the wavelength is so low that organic tissue will be affected.

      Here is a report from Motorola outlining the problems.

      --
      How small a thought it takes to fill a whole life
    3. Re:5Ghz.. it is the future! by YankeeInExile · · Score: 5, Insightful
      There is a broad gap between "orgaic tissue will be affected" and "provable causality of detrimental side effects."

      Everything one choses to do in life has risks associated with it -- and if "bathing myself in nanovolt/m fields of 5 GHz energy" raises a risk factor from 1 in a billion to one in 250 million Extra Extra! Radio Waves Cause 400% increase in cancer!, I think I would be willing to live with that.

      In the mean time, there are some simple proven ways to improve your risk factors.

      • Put out that cigarette.
      • Wear a condom.
      • Put down the Burrito Supreme.
      • Walk to the liquor store instead of drive.
      Computer software consists of only two components -- ones and zeros -- in roughly equal proportions. All that is required is to sort them into the correct order.
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  5. What? by poptones · · Score: 4, Informative
    So allocating an unlicensed band that wasn't allocated before means LESS? It's not as if this band was never regulated before and the nations of the world just decided to take it over.

    If you want more RF freedom, get an amateur license and have at it. Or don't, and just ignore the rules - either way it's not as if you were using this spectrum before, now is it?

    Having a worldwide market for this stuff means cheaper end user product. That means MORE freedom because MORE people can utilize this spectrum. That means LESS crowding in populated areas. It also means even cheaper 2.4GHz equipment as the urban areas move into this new spectrum. That means rural areas (like mine) can even better afford wireless broadband.

    Looks to me like this means more freedom all around. What planet are you from?

  6. Depends on the ETSI power regulations by Moderation+abuser · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The 100mW EIRP regulations across most of Europe severely limit the usefulness of the current 2.4GHz systems.

    I haven't looked at the regulations for the 5Ghz band but if it's as limited as 2.4GHz it won't be much use.

    --
    Government of the people, by corporate executives, for corporate profits.
  7. Re:And Our Health? by hamsterboy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, 5GHz won't affect humans nearly as much as 2.4GHz; a microwave oven operates at around 2.4GHz, where the 5GHz band does nothing useful/harmful on a macro scale.

  8. Dentistry by Penguinshit · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hmm.. this might explain the sudden massive shift in Dentistry toward exclusive use of ceramics in tooth fillings.

  9. WLANs by Eric(b0mb)Dennis · · Score: 4, Informative

    If wireless networking ever does take off, this will be a huge boon... standardization is really the only way to ensure a future with interoperable global WLANs.. If only they did this with cellphones in the beginning.. instead of who knows how many different standards are around I wonder if any company has considered a SIrius/XM Radio like wireless internet connection? Would this be possible using satellites? What kind of speeds could be expected? Just some curious ideas I was pondering

    --
    Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
  10. airwave economics by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 5, Informative

    Its a shame that governments control the airwaves, but unfortunately in order for them to be of any use they sorta haveto.They regulate the airwaves as to reduce interferance that would otherwise jam just about every band. This way large corperate radio stations won't interfere with someone's remotely powered pacemaker. And SGI can't fry my pc's wifi card if I put my labtop next to their latest supercomputer. Its sort of a tragedy of the commons situation. The solution is to get rid of the commons by assigning ownership to them.

    --
    Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
  11. Re:And Our Health? by josh+crawley · · Score: 4, Informative

    From the page in question:

    There is a clear maximum in the dielectric loss for water at a frequency of approximately 20GHz, the same point at which the dielectric constant ' goes through a point of inflexion as it decreases with increasing frequency. The 2.45GHz operating frequency of domestic ovens is selected to be some way from this maximum in order to limit the efficiency of the absorption. Too efficient absorption by the outer layers would inevitably lead to poor heating of the internal volume in large samples. This introduces the concept of skin depth or penetration depth, a subject which will be more fully discussed for conduction losses in Chapter 3, although the general principles discussed there apply to dielectric loss also.

  12. Re:And Our Health? by dreadnougat · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm curious as to how far you're sitting from your monitor.

  13. The downsides of 5ghz by gad_zuki! · · Score: 4, Informative

    >detail any downsides of using the 5Ghz band?

    I'm no radio geek but...

    As a rule of thumb the higher the frequency the shorter the range. Range and wall penetration are going to be much more important factors than thoroughput for almost all residental installs and many business applications. I believe the current estimate is you'll get 1/4 the range. Err, no thanks.

    Its not exactly that simple. At the same distance 802.11a outperforms b. So if, and this is a big if, an 'a' client and a 'b' client are both at 175 feet or so then 'b' will get 2mbs and 'a' will get 6mbs.

    What I think is starting to happen, that is if everyone doesn't just switch to a/b/g multicards, is that 'a' has a better chance of getting business sales. Businesses can afford to put up more APs to handle the range problems and could really use the extra bandwidth.

    Home users will probably stick to 'a' (or 'g') as its range and penetration is a big plus. Bandwidth isn't much of a consideration when 99% of these users will just be connecting to a slow WAN pipe like a DSL line or a cable modem.

    Neat little comparision chart here.