The FCC has agreed to open up the 6GHz frequency band for AR/VR, which has excited Meta, Apple, Google, and others

On October 20th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) agreed on Thursday to open new frequency bands for certain devices, which is very helpful for the development of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) wearable devices.FCC members unanimously voted to open the 6GHz frequency band to so-called "a new class of ultra-low power devices," such as wearable technology

On October 20th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) agreed on Thursday to open new frequency bands for certain devices, which is very helpful for the development of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) wearable devices.

FCC members unanimously voted to open the 6GHz frequency band to so-called "a new class of ultra-low power devices," such as wearable technology.

The FCC expects this move to promote the development of cutting-edge applications such as wearable technology and AR/VR, providing opportunities for businesses, increasing learning and medical opportunities, and bringing new entertainment experiences.

Meta welcomes this initiative, and Kevin Martin, the company's vice president for North American policy, stated that the FCC vote is an excellent example of government regulatory agencies collaborating with the industry and contributing to future construction.

For Meta, the openness of the 6GHz frequency band is crucial for advancing its vision of smart glasses. This means that users who purchase future devices can still have more powerful features even when they are away from home and unable to connect to powerful WiFi.

The Pixel team under Google posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating, "The 6GHz frequency band has become the key to future wireless connectivity. Today's FCC vote is a major victory for Pixel users and American consumers, as this frequency band can now be used for high-speed peer-to-peer WiFi communication

Google described peer-to-peer connectivity on its Android developer website, which means devices are directly connected to each other through Wi Fi without the need for an intermediate access point. Google stated that this is very useful for multiplayer games and photo sharing applications.

Apple also stated in a statement on Thursday that the FCC vote is a "positive step forward".

When the FCC solicited opinions in 2020, Apple, Broadcom, Meta, and Google all supported the institution's proposal to open up the 6GHz frequency band, stating that it would become an important component of the next generation 5G ecosystem.

These companies stated in their written recommendations at the time that the ability to open the 6GHz frequency band to extremely low-power devices such as AR/VR tools, head displays, and game controllers would make these tools more mobile and can be operated outdoors without cables.

These companies wrote at the time, "This capability, combined with low latency and high data transmission rates, will support new critical use cases, from training in life-saving surgery to helping blind people and Americans with vision problems

They also warned that if AR/VR glasses are not allowed to be used outdoors and more portable, it will severely limit their experience and practicality in scenarios such as jogging, hiking, or sports events. (Small)