Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: the path from Carter and Reagan-era faith in deregulation to widespread products impacting our world

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical account of the May 1985 spread spectrum FCC decision.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a case study giving a first‐person account of decision making at the FCC in 1985.Findings – The May 1985 decision did not start as an attempt to bring specific products to market, but as part of a program to remove anachronistic technical regulations and allow a free market in innovative technology, subject only to responsible interference limits.Research limitations/implications – Research limitations encompass typical limitations of a narrow case study of a historical event.Practical implications – The paper guides future decision making in telecommunications policy.Originality/value – The paper reflects the path of deregulation in the 1980s resulting in widespread product innovation in the twenty‐first century.