A man uses his phone outside the AT&T store in New York's Times Square, June 17, 2015.
Reuters/Brendan McDermid
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously Thursday to open substantial spectrum for next-generation high-speed 5G wireless applications and networks.
The FCC approved opening nearly 11 gigahertz of high-frequency spectrum for mobile, flexible and fixed-use wireless broadband. The FCC said the new rules "will provide vital clarity for business investment in this area." Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc have said they will begin deploying 5G trials in 2017, and the first commercial deployments at scale are expected in 2020, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)