A new idea of faster cellular connections is now being developed and may soon be enjoyed by cellphone users. But the undesirable effect it may give is the slowing of Wi-Fi connections.

The result of a new regulatory decision will enable companies such as T-Mobile and Verizon to use the same part of the public airwaves being used by W-Fi for transmitting data. Because of the customers of these companies will enjoy faster speeds on their cellular phones. But Wi-Fi transmissions would be affected.

Michael Calabrese, the director of the wireless future project at New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute said that there could quite possibly be a significant disruption of Wi-Fi hotspots. This could pose discomfort for Wi-Fi users since a huge portion of internet traffic depends on hotspots. Calabrese estimated that 80 percent of data transmitted by mobile devices alone is carried over Wi-Fi, Mercury News reported.

The long-term evolution (LTE-U) is the standard networking technology used by cellular companies to send and receive data between their own wireless networks and smartphones and it has something to do with this conflict. Companies like AT&T and other companies it authorizes own parts of the spectrum and they can send it. Verizon is the only company that can send the transmission in its spectrum. These wireless carriers have exclusive rights to big chunks of the airwaves.

There are also other parts of the spectrum that are unlicensed and even anyone can use them if they have compatible elements. In these parts Wi-Fi operates. LTE-U is developed to meet the need of wireless carriers to have more spectrum to use when the amount of data being sent through mobile networks are surging. These would enable carriers to send LTE signals to unlicensed bands.

According to Phys.org, Wi-Fi industries and advocates are not happy with this since allowing the wireless carriers to move into space used by Wi-Fi would weaken the usual speed Wi-Fi consumers is enjoying right now. The Federal Communications Commission encouraged representatives to come up with a solution. Lately, these industries reached a compromise. There should have a design to test LTE-U equipment to ensure that it can coexist with Wi-Fi devices by the carriers and their partners.

Mike Haberman, a network vice president at Verizon said no one needs to worry that their Wi-Fi networks will be affected, the issues have been addressed. But Calabrese and others are not convinced. There are concerns that weaker ones will not be noticed by LTE-U transmitters and be ignored.

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