Ofcom has announced plans to boost UK home Wi-Fi speeds by opening up more of the airwaves.
The communications regulator wants to open up a sub-band within the 5GHz range for home and business Wi-Fi connections.
Under the plans, new channels would be opened resulting in more reliable connections, faster speeds and the ability to transport larger amounts of data (via Register).
Those channels would help to improve service for apps that require lots of data, such as Netflix, Spotify and other media streaming services.
Ofcom’s move could ease the strain on the 2.4GHz band which has become congested.
Related: Best Wi-Fi Extenders 2016
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“We also want to close the gap between advertised speeds and the wireless performance that people and businesses actually receive. So we’re exploring ways to open up more airwaves for Wi-Fi.
“In the meantime, people can check their router is up to date, and use our Wi-Fi Checker app to test if it’s working properly.”
Before you get your hopes up, it appears it may be a few years before Ofcom opens up the new channels.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
