Broadband Breakfast on April 30, 2025 - Accelerating U.S. Leadership in Wi-Fi
Technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have changed how Americans access the internet.
In 1985, the Federal Communications Commission opened a limited number of spectrum bands for unlicensed use, allowing anyone to deploy radio equipment without an FCC license or exclusive use rights. At the time, these bands were referred to as “junk bands.” But since then, unlicensed spectrum has enabled technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to change how Americans access the internet – at home, at work, and on the go. Wi-Fi now carries between 82% and 89% of data usage on smartphones. What are the key trends shaping the future of U.S. wireless usage? How does demand match up with the supply of unlicensed spectrum? What lessons can lawmakers and the FCC take away from mobile traffic patterns when managing America’s finite supply of wireless spectrum?
Broadband Breakfast
Panelists
- Mary L. Brown, Executive Director, WifiForward
- Josh Baggett, Head of Global Spectrum Policy, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- Micah Sachs, Vice President, Global Broadband Products and Market Insights, Opensignal
- Drew Clark (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Mary L. Brown consults for a wide range of spectrum clients at Salt Point Strategies, and currently serves as Executive Director of WifiForward, an organization dedicated to the promotion of Wi-Fi technology. Her expertise in wireless includes two terms on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Commercial Spectrum Management Advisory Council, providing testimony at multiple Congressional hearings, and advocating on spectrum issues before the Federal Communications Commission.
Micah Sachs is Vice President, Global Broadband Products and Market Insights, at Opensignal, a leading global provider of highly granular network intelligence and subscriber intelligence to telecom operators. Sachs oversees the development of broadband network intelligence products as well as the team that creates Opensignal’s public-facing telecom insights. Prior to joining Opensignal, Micah served as a principal at two telecommunications management consulting firms, Cartesian (formerly CSMG) and CMA (now part of EY-Parthenon).
Josh Baggett leads the Global Wireless Policy team for HPE Aruba Networking, where he advocates for HPE Aruba’s wireless technology initiatives among regulators, policymakers, and industry standards organizations. Prior to joining the CTO office in Aruba, he worked at Cisco Systems, Inc., focusing on domestic telecom, technology, and broadband policies. He began his career working for various Members of the U.S. House of Representatives as a Legislative Director where helped to draft legislative text, lead oversight of the FCC & NTIA, and was involved in various spectrum efforts to open access for licensed and unlicensed applications.
Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.
