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."

Comments

Foil Cap

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:Foil Cap

[stinky wizzleteats]

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.

Contain Indoors?

[WC as Kato]

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!

5Ghz.. it is the future!

[bethane]

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.

Re:5Ghz.. it is the future!

[CausticWindow]

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.

Re:5Ghz.. it is the future!

[YankeeInExile]

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.

Depends on the ETSI power regulations

[Moderation abuser]

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.

Re:And Our Health?

[hamsterboy]

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.

airwave economics

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

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.