Amazon has asked FCC for permission to run undisclosed experiments with wireless technology in Washington State.
Amazon's Secret Tests
According to The Christian Science Monitor, Amazon has filed an application with the US federal government that suggests the company has plans to experiment with wireless communications technology. Amazon has remained silent about the details but tech experts speculate that this is perhaps signaling that the company aims for a new product or service.
Amazon asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to test this year for five months some undisclosed prototypes and their related software in the Washington State, in and around its Seattle headquarters. According to an FCC, application made public last week, the tests will involve anchored stations and mobile devices and alike.
The story was first reported by Business Insider, that noted the project could be part of Amazon's drone-delivery initiatives. In recent years, Facebook and Google have also conducted wireless experiments of their own, pursuing innovative projects such as self-driving cars. Meanwhile, Amazon has focused on drone delivery service for its online retail business. However, the company has wide-ranging interests and that makes it difficult to anticipate precisely what the tests entail.
Few Details Known About Secretive Amazon Tests
Amazon's application to the FCC specifies that the tests would begin indoors then later move outdoors. The document states that the tests are beginning as early as Feb. 11, 2017, and they will last five months. According to The Verge, the application requests permission to operate on selected frequencies. Amazon aims to test software and hardware equipment for innovative communications functionalities and capabilities.
In each indoor and outdoor location will be installed three low-power, fixed transmitters, and wireless units. Amazon's FCC application also specifies that the study might also incorporate evaluating antennae. The company has declined to give more details about the application and any related plans.
