8/3 Coalition Letter to FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Urges Final Rules for 6 GHz that Avoids Creating a “Wi-Fi Digital Divide”

New America’s Open Technology Institute sent a letter today with 18 other national nonprofit associations and organizations (listed below) to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urging her to finalize two key issues governing unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band in a manner that is consistent with four key public interest principles and that “does not create a new Wi-Fi Digital Divide.”

In 2020 the FCC unanimously adopted a historic Report and Order that authorized an unprecedented 1,200 megahertz of unlicensed spectrum to fuel Next Generation Wi-Fi 6E (already available) and Wi-Fi 7 (available next year). By providing Wi-Fi users very wide channels, the new Wi-Fi technology has the potential to distribute multi-gigabits of connectivity at very low latency and with far greater reliability to every home, school, library and business enterprise nationwide. If the power levels are adequate, it will spur innovation and play a leading role in further narrowing the nation’s digital divide and Homework Gap.

The full letter is available here. The introduction states:

We are writing to thank you for your steadfast and successful leadership in promoting unlicensed innovation and to urge you to finalize two issues in the pending 6 GHz proceeding in a robust way that is consistent with four key principles described below. The authorization of Very Low Power (VLP) devices and higher power for indoor-only use (LPI) are particularly crucial for digital equity and inclusion, for continued U.S. leadership in next generation Wi-Fi, and for virtually all consumers, businesses and community anchor institutions that increasingly rely on Wi-Fi for connectivity. Above all, we need to ensure that final rules for the 6 GHz band do not create a new Wi-Fi Digital Divide.

Organizations signing onto the Wi-Fi in 6 GHz Letter:

OPEN TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE AT NEW AMERICA, PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, CONSUMER REPORTS, NEXT CENTURY CITIES, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, CENTER FOR RURAL STRATEGIES, NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE (NDIA), SCHOOLS HEALTH LIBRARIES BROADBAND (SHLB) COALITION, TRIBAL DIGITAL VILLAGE NETWORK, DIGITAL PROMISE, BENTON INSTITUTE FOR BROADBAND & SOCIETY, COSN–CONSORTIUM FOR SCHOOL NETWORKING, WISPA—BROADBAND WITHOUT BOUNDARIES , STATE EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION (SETDA), UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST MEDIA JUSTICE MINISTRY, ACCESS HUMBOLDT, X-LAB, INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF RELIANCE