NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: January 9, 2013 Matthew Berry, 202-418-2005 Email: Matthew.Berry@fcc.gov STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI ON MAKING ADDITIONAL SPECTRUM AVAILABLE FOR WI-FI I applaud Chairman Genachowski for announcing that the Commission will soon launch a proceeding to make available almost 200 MHz of spectrum for unlicensed use in the 5 GHz band. The standard for next-generation Wi-Fi—IEEE 802.11ac—already exists and requires large, contiguous swaths of spectrum for high-speed, high-capacity data transfers. Spectrum in the 5 GHz spectrum is tailor-made for this innovative standard. The propagation of 5 GHz spectrum is relatively short, which minimizes interference and makes 5 GHz perfect for common unlicensed applications. Moreover, the technical attractiveness of this spectrum will encourage manufacturers to invest in what consumers want: faster processing with less power consumption at lower prices. I look forward to working with my colleagues to facilitate the rollout of next generation Wi-Fi across the country.