12 GHz and Industrial 5G

Over the past several years, one thing has become abundantly clear from a 5G perspective, it can be utilized almost anywhere. Be it emergency dispatch coordination, remote learning, or a smart factory, 5G has become a crucial aspect of so many elements of our modern world it is hard to imagine living without it.

 

One area in particular where 5G has shown promise has been in smart factories and industrial 5G. I’ve spoken at length previously about how 5G can revolutionize farming, but its importance for industry is just as central. Industrial 5G can enable unprecedented communication between devices, allowing for increased efficiency and cohesion. Industrial 5G also provides greater security due to running on a private network. Leveraging 5G can help ensure US factories stay at the forefront of innovation and creativity.

 

The 12 GHz bands provide a golden opportunity to supercharge our nation’s 5G network and make more factories “smart”. The 12 GHz bands represent over 1000 MHz of strong mid-band spectrum, unencumbered by federal users. Maximizing the 12 GHz bands would increase competition and speeds, saving businesses money and time. No other spectrum bands have the same balance of propagation characteristics, supporting technical data, and ease of deployment.

 

The FCC must recognize the opportunity that the 12 GHz bands offer for the deployment of Industrial 5G. As uses of 5G continue to expand both in breadth and depth, we need to identify and unleash spectrum in order to keep pace with growing demand. Very rarely do you find spectrum bands with the slate of positive characteristics in their favor that 12 GHz does, the FCC simply needs to reach out and grab this opportunity.

 

-Chip Pickering, Co-Chair of the 5Gfor12GHz Coalition