UK set to have a severe shortage of airwaves for wi-fi by 2020 Ofcom predicts 80 times more demand for mobile data capacity by 2030 The worst interference will be in high speed indoor wireless networks The regulator said moving up to the 5GHz band could resolve some issues The UK will have a severe shortage of airwaves used for wi-fi by 2020, according to a report by telecoms watchdog Ofcom. Overcrowding of the airwaves could cause slower speeds and interference from devices having to share the same band. It could also slow down plans for machine-to-machine wireless communication which is hoping to be rolled out in UK manufacturing industries over the next decade. Wi-Fi uses the radio frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum between radio waves and microwaves. According to Ofcom, the UK will have a severe shortage of airwaves used for WiFi by 2020 The report claims that the worst interference will be in high speed indoor wireless networks, which require multiple high bandwidth non-overlapping channels. Overall, Ofcom estimates that there will be an 80 times increase in the demand for mobile data capacity by 2030. "This growth in demand for mobile data is being driven by the increasing penetration and use of connected devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs," said the report. The report claims that worst interference will be in for high speed indoor wireless networks, which require multiple high bandwidth non-overlapping channels. Overall, Ofcom estimates that there will be an 80 times increase in the demand for mobile data capacity by 2030 Wi-fi uses the radio frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum between radio waves and microwaves The 5GHz band is relatively empty and using would also improve the coverage of mobile networks including 4G Currently, it is based on the 2.4GHz band, which is already quite congested. Ofcom has suggested that moving up to the 5GHz band will open up a much bigger share of the wireless spectrum and resolve some issues. The 5GHz band is relatively empty and using would also improve the coverage of mobile networks including 4G. The call echoes a report by the European Commission last week which recommended that the 5GHz spectrum is expanded globally to meet increasing demand. Ofcom has said that the UK will also need to look at other technologies that could help free up extra internet access over the next decade. For instance, intelligent antennas, that are able to accurately focus their energy between transmitter and receiver, could be used to reduce interference between users. The regulator is now welcoming public feedback on the 5GHz frequency should be freely available for public use or auctioned to a private business. The consultation will close on the 9th of November.