Tinfoil Hats Beware
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently approved a new class of unlicensed devices. These devices are designed to operate outdoors and at higher power levels than previously allowed. Known as ‘Geofenced variable power’ (GVP) devices, they will utilize the 6 GHz band, offering up to 11 dBm/MHz power spectral density and 24 dBm effective isotropic radiated power. This represents a significant increase from the current 5 dBm/MHz limit for Very Low Power (VLP) devices in the United States.
This enhancement will allow VLP WiFi to deliver sufficient signal strength for applications such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices, as well as robust local hotspots. While standard power access points can already achieve this, the new GVP classification specifically targets battery-powered WiFi devices, including smartphones, in-car networks, and various industrial applications. Although GVP devices may consume more battery power, they are expected to provide improved performance both indoors and outdoors compared to existing VLP WiFi devices.
The ‘geofenced’ aspect of this new standard means that these devices must be able to detect and stop operating within designated exclusion zones. Additionally, GVP devices will be restricted to specific frequencies to prevent interference with existing WiFi devices that are already licensed for higher power signal operation.
