Η Google prepares to test a secret 6GHz network in several US states, according to a number of listings of the FCC identified by Business Insider.
The company has sought government approval to experiment with next-generation Wi-Fi technology in dozens of states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
The plan is “conttreatment radio experiments in and near the 6GHz band (5650 MHz – 7125 MHz)” in selected cities in each of these states. Google is asking for one or two cities in each state, with the exception of California, where it plans to conduct trials in seven cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
"Google is proposing experimental broadband testing in the 6GHz band to generate technical information about the usefulness of these frequencies for providing reliable broadband connections," the company said in a statement.
The request came when the FCC opened a bandwidth band in the 6GHz band for unlicensed uses in April. Some companies have expressed concern that existing infrastructure may be affected, which is why Google promises that its tests will be performed "without harmful interference to other authorized users".
The new technology is expected to offer faster speeds Internet more than doubling the available Wi-Fi frequencies, but don't expect to see anything anytime soon. Google asked for 24 months to play with 6GHz networks.
It's not clear why Google is asking for permission to experiment with the 6GHz band, but since the company is already involved in other services with Fiber, Nest and Stadia, it certainly has every incentive to improve Wi-Fi standards.
