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Aruba Commends the FCC NPRM on Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band

By Chuck Lukaszewski, Vice President and Chief Wireless Technologist, Aruba

As a global leader in secure Wi-Fi solutions that power the Intelligent Edge, Aruba, a Hewlett-Packard Enterprise company, applauds Chairman Pai for publishing the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on “Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band.” Specifically, their proposal to make up to 1200 megahertz available for unlicensed applications takes a significant step to ensure that Wi-Fi has the spectrum needed to keep up with what the Commission rightly calls “the explosive demand” for mobile data services – including playing a key role in 5G deployment.

Aruba has fully endorsed the Commission’s approach to balancing our interests for more unlicensed spectrum in 6 GHz with the need to fully protect existing and new licenses held by incumbent mobile and fixed operators. We have worked diligently to show through technical studies that sharing this spectrum with incumbents, many of whom are Aruba customers, is possible with tailored rules. Moreover, the FCC’s move to open 6 GHz for unlicensed use creates a unique opportunity to drive global economies of scale through its proximity to the existing 5 GHz spectrum used by Wi-Fi, and by being harmonized with Europe in the lower portion of the band. We are committed to working with the Commission to achieve these goals.

Our customers already report increasing levels of congestion, especially as they transition to gigabit-capable 80- and 160-MHz channel bandwidths. High-density environments like universities, airports and stadiums are quickly becoming spectrum-limited. Increasing the availability of mid-band wireless spectrum will give more Americans the opportunity to connect, create and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.

We appreciate Chairman Pai, with support from Commissioners O’Rielly and Rosenworcel, focusing on this issue and we look forward to working with them throughout the NPRM process.