§1453 Unlicensed Use in the 5 Ghz Band

Summary

Within 1 year after February 22, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must start a process to change rules so unlicensed U‑NII devices can operate in the 5350–5470 MHz band. The FCC can only make that change if, working with the Assistant Secretary, it finds that licensed users will be protected by technical fixes (for example, dynamic frequency selection) and that Federal users’ main missions in that band will not be harmed. The Assistant Secretary must study known and proposed sharing technologies and the risk to Federal users if unlicensed U‑NII devices were allowed in the 5350–5470 MHz and 5850–5925 MHz bands, consulting the Department of Defense and other agencies. Reports must go to the FCC and to the House and Senate commerce committees by 8 months after February 22, 2012 for the 5350–5470 MHz band and by 18 months after February 22, 2012 for the 5850–5925 MHz band. The 5350–5470 MHz band means frequencies from 5350 megahertz to 5470 megahertz. The 5850–5925 MHz band means frequencies from 5850 megahertz to 5925 megahertz.