Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Executive Vice President of the Business Operations Group and Regulatory Affairs Phil Moeller today issued the following statement on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) Final Report and Order for the 6 GHz band of the wireless spectrum.

"Numerous critical infrastructure industries and public safety providers that operate in the 6 GHz band have raised significant concerns with the FCC's plan to open up the band without automated frequency control (AFC) requirements for all unlicensed devices.

"While we support the goal of using spectrum more efficiently, today's decision by the FCC means there will be no field testing or AFC mechanism in place to protect incumbent users from interference by indoor low-power devices.

"EEI's member companies remain committed to providing their customers with reliable and secure energy, and we will carefully monitor the band for interference to prevent any significant impacts to mission-critical communications systems. We also will continue to work with policymakers and other stakeholders to identify ways to mitigate the risk introduced by these unlicensed devices."