Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Cory Booker have introduced legislation that could open up more spectrum for Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Innovation Act will require the Federal Communications Commission to test the feasibility of opening the upper 5 GHz band to unlicensed use. It also requires the government to study the barriers preventing deployment of wireless networks in low-income neighborhoods. This act was introduced in the last Congress and but did not become law.
Elsewhere in Washington, a new Senate report finds that ​hackers can access ​connected cars ​through the vehicle’s Bluetooth connections, through OnStar, or through an Android device connected to the car. The report from the Office of Senator Ed Markey highlights the possibility of hackers accessing personal data and even taking control of cars. This report looks at hypothetical problems, not at things that have actually happened.