Washingtech Tech Policy Podcast With Joe Miller

Most of us probably don’t think about it much, but our cell phones and Wi-Fi connections use something called spectrum to send and receive data. The term “5G” refers to the fifth major version of this standard for transmitting information wirelessly. It’s also known as “millimeter wave technology.” The 5GHz spectrum has long been viewed as a way to get around the crowded radiofrequency (RF) spectrum and its associated problems with Wi-Fi. The widespread adoption of wireless local area networks (WLANs) in the 2.4 GHz ISM band means that there are very few available channels in any given location, which can lead to high interference levels, reduced coverage range, and low throughput. The 5GHz spectrum is not as crowded as the 2.4GHz band, making it a better choice for high-throughput, low-interference deployments like indoor video surveillance networks. In general, this band also provides greater immunity from interference from devices like baby monitors or cordless phones that use frequencies in the 2.4GHz ban