Mary-Louise Hoffman
The Consumer Electronics Association has published a report indicating that a radio spectrum used to facilitate enterprise wireless communications contributes $62 billion to the nation’s economy a year.
CEA forecasts that consumer electronics devices utilizing non-licensed radio frequency bands will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 30 percent between 2011 and 2016, the group said Monday.
“We’re seeing an explosion of connected devices that rely almost exclusively on unlicensed spectrum – the Internet of Things – proof of the skyrocketing value of unlicensed spectrum,â€Â said Gary Shapiro, CEA president and chief executive.
“With this tool, innovators can harness the power of the network to give devices more utility than they could ever have in isolation,” Shapiro added.
The association has found that smartphones are used in 64 percent of U.S. households and tablets are utilized in 45 percent of homes throughout the country.
Unlicensed spectrum works to help entrepreneurs implement technologies with minimal costs and regulatory oversight, according to CEA.
