US Regulators to Grant Google, Meta and Apple Approval for Virtual Reality Products
US regulators are close to granting approval to Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Apple Inc., and Meta Platforms Inc. for the deployment of a range of new mobile virtual and augmented reality devices. These devices include goggles and in-car connections.
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s proposal announced Wednesday would allow very low-power devices to tap into the radio waves used by Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The agency is scheduled to vote on the issue on Oct. 19 and is considered likely to pass because Rosenworcel leads the agency’s Democratic majority.
Taking advantage of the 6GHz spectrum “would fuel a new wave of innovation in devices that benefit consumers in exciting ways and strengthen U.S. leadership in advanced wireless technologies,” Rosenworcel said in a statement.
Devices that operate on the airwaves “could introduce new ways for Americans to work, play and live by enabling applications that can provide large amounts of information in near real time,” the FCC said earlier when it considered the proposal.
The three tech giants petitioned the FCC two years ago for access to the unlicensed spectrum, claiming it would be “critical to future innovations in augmented and virtual reality.” Apple, Meta, and Google are all working on augmented reality glasses, and could use the 6 GHz frequency to connect to a smartphone, for example. Other important uses could include exchanging navigation data between smartphones and vehicles, the companies said.
The FCC is also considering so-called net neutrality rules for broadband providers at its October meeting.
