(Telecompaper) The FCC has adopted new rules opening up spectrum for the development of the next generation of mobile services. The US is the first in the world to approve frequencies above 24 GHz for mobile services and next-generation 5G networks. These new rules open up nearly 11 GHz of high-frequency spectrum for flexible, mobile and fixed use wireless broadband 3.85 GHz of licensed spectrum and 7 GHz of unlicensed spectrum. The rules create a new Upper Microwave Flexible Use service in the 28 GHz (27.5-28.35 GHz), 37 GHz (37-38.6 GHz), and 39 GHz (38.6-40 GHz) bands, and a new unlicensed band at 64-71 GHz. The FCC said the balanced approach should support exclusive use licensing, shared access and unlicensed access, in order to meet a variety of different needs and use cases. The Commission also adopted a draft decision on applying the flexible use service and technical rules to another 18 GHz of spectrum encompassing eight additional high-frequency bands. This decision is open for public comment and also includes refinements to the performance requirements and mobile spectrum holdings policies, and the sharing framework adopted for the 37-37.6 GHz band.