Carriers may just be rolling out 5G in the US, and much of the world, but FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wants them to start working on 6G.
The 5G rollout in the US has been particularly rocky. Carriers were not unified in their strategy and selection of bandwidth, with only T-Mobile seeming to have a comprehensive strategy from the outset. In time, AT&T and Verizon both adopted a similar approach to T-Mobile, but both carriers ran into issues with the FAA and airline industry when trying to deploy a key portion of their spectrum. The issues even grabbed the attention of Congress, with lawmakers criticizing the agencies and industry for the botched rollout.
It seems Rosenworcel is eager to avoid such problems in the future, and is asking carriers to start planning for the next generation of wireless technology now, according to Digital Trends.
“It’s not too early to harmonize these efforts around the world, because that’s how we will ensure that this next generation can reach everyone everywhere,” Rosenworcel said during her MWC keynote in Barcelona.
“Let’s not forget the lessons we’ve learned with millimeter wave spectrum and 5G,” Rosenworcel continued. “These waves are fragile. And while there’s a lot of this spectrum to deploy, it doesn’t travel very far, and right now deploying it is awfully costly.”
