Yesterday, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representatives Bob Latta (R-OH), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Darryl Issa (R-CA), Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA) reintroduced the Wi-Fi Innovation Act.  As we stated when this legislation was first introduced in the Senate and House last year, these bi-partisan, bi-cameral legislative efforts are critical for the advancement of next-generation unlicensed wireless technology and represent consensus on the importance of the upper portion of the 5 GHz band for meeting consumers’ skyrocketing demand for mobile broadband services, particularly increased demand for Wi-Fi.

Our lives are becoming increasingly connected and our devices are becoming smarter.  In fact Cisco predicts there will be 11.5 billion mobile connected devices by 2019.  In order to deliver the many layers of connectivity needed to support the world of tomorrow or the Internet of Things, Comcast has built the largest Wi-Fi network in America with over 8 million Xfinity WiFi hotspots.  Consumers can experience it at sports and entertainment venues across the nation from Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center to Universal Studios Florida and San Francisco 49ers Levi’s Stadium.  We are proud of our commitment to our customers to provide the best Wi-Fi experience possible and these venues are just one example of how prevalent Wi-Fi has become. 

We know that as the Internet of Things continues to become more and more pervasive, we need to give customers an unmatched Wi-Fi experience wherever they go.  And in order to deliver next generation Gigabit Wi-Fi to the nation we’ll need the additional spectrum allocation called for in this legislation.

We applaud Senators Rubio (R-FL) and Booker (D-NJ) and Representatives Latta (D-OH), Eshoo (D-CA), Issa (R-CA), Matsui (D-CA) and DelBene (D-WA) for their leadership on this important issue and we strongly support this pro-consumer legislation.