July 24, 2013 11. ci>. J!}ou~e of 1\epre~entattbe~ 1mtasbington, 1.9. C!. 20515 The Honorable Mignon Clyburn, Acting Chairwoman Federal Communications Commission 445 Twelfth Street, S. W. Washington, D.C. 20554 Dear Acting Chairwoman Clyburn, We applaud you for your leadership to increase Wi-Fi speeds and alleviate congestion by making up to 195 megahertz of additional spectrum in the 5 GHz band available for unlicensed wireless devices. The economic benefits of such an expansion are well-documented with recent studies concluding that the unlicensed wireless sector contributes between $50 and $100 billion per year to the U.S. economy. 1 Given the tremendous growth in Wi-Fi usage and the need to maintain our nation's lead in developing "gigabit Wi-Fi" technology, such an expansion will provide consumers with faster data speeds and greater capacity needed to support high-definition video, large file transfers and a new generation of technologies that have yet to be invented? In pursuit of this goal, government and industry must work together in developing spectrum sharing solutions. As you know, more than a decade ago the FCC allocated 75 MHz of spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to improve highway safety and efficiency.3 We acknowledge the important research and development which has been undertaken since 1999 by automobile manufacturers in conjunction with the Department of Transportation (DOT), and we support continued efforts to improve driver safety.4 Given the immediate economic and consumer benefits of expanding Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz band, we believe the FCC should proceed expeditiously with collaborative testing of promising spectrum sharing solutions involving both incumbents and the Wi-Fi industry. It's our hope this process will unleash the capabilities of gigabit Wi-Fi and lead to the adoption of rules that ensure ITS systems and unlicensed devices can coexist in this band. 1 See Mark Cooper, Efficiency Gains and Consumer Benefits of Unlicensed Access to the Public Airwaves (Jan. 2012); President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Realizing the Full Potential of Government-Held Spectrum to Spur Economic Growth, Office of Science and Technology (July 2012), available at http://www. whitehouse.gov/sites/defaultlfiles/microsites/ostp/pcast _spectrum _report final _july_ 20 _20 12.pdf. 2 Press Release, Federal Communications Commission, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Announces Major Effort to Increase Wi-Fi Speeds (Jan. 9, 2013), available at http://www.fcc.gov/document/chairman-announces- effort-increase-wi-fi-speeds; 802.11 ac: The Fifth Generation of Wi-Fi, CISCO 4 (Aug. 20 12), available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps5678/ps 11983/white _paper_ c 11-7131 03.pdf. 3 See Federal Communications Commission, FCC Allocates Spectrum in 5.9 GHz Range for Intelligent Transportation System Uses (Oct. 21, 1999), available at http://trans ition. fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_ Technology/News_ Releases/1999/nret9006.html. 4 See ITS Research Success Stories, http:/lwww.its.dot.gov/res_ successes.htm (last visited July 22, 2013). 0741 Thank you for your continuing efforts to unlock the next generation of unlicensed innovation. Sincerely, Doris O. Matsui Member of Congress Bob Latta Member of Congress arrell Issa Member of Congress cc: The Honorable Anthony FoXX, Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation The Honorable David L. Strickland, Administrator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) The Honorable Lawrence E. Strickling, Administrator National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)