Wi-Fi is about to get a little less congested and a lot faster, thanks to a vote on Monday by the Federal Communications Commission.

The FCC voted to open up 100 MHz of spectrum at the lower end of the 5-GHz band, potentially making room for what’s known as Gigabit Wi-Fi. The move will also help with overcrowding on that band.

The Wi-Fi standard currently allows for use of parts of the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands. The former is shared with a slew of other electronics, from garage door openers to microwave ovens to older cordless phones. Older routers, which use the 802.11g standard, connect using the 2.4-GHz band exclusively, and it’s a crowded space.

The 802.11n and newer ac standards utilize the 5-GHz band, which allows for faster and more robust connections. Opening up more spectrum in that band relieves the general overcrowding problem with Wi-Fi and allows for even faster speeds. This is especially good news for those of us who rely on streaming for TV, movies and other video.

From a blog post by Cisco executive Mary Brown:

The decision on 5 GHz spectrum is significant action that will allow consumers to use the full capabilities of the next generation of Wi-Fi technology. In effect, the FCC has eliminated the “speed bump” that impeded the full use of the 5150-5250 MHz band, and paved over two “potholes” that existed in the 5470-5725 and 5725-5850 MHz bands — one 50 MHz wide and one 25 MHz wide. As a result of these and other technical rule changes, the FCC has accelerated the ability of consumers to get the most out of new, Gigabit Wi–Fi technologies that are increasingly embedded in their smartphones, tablets and TVs. This will make it easier for all of us to consume a wide range of content on our mobile devices, most notably high definition video without frustrating lags or delays.

The new spectrum previously had been used by a single satellite phone company.

There remain regulatory details to be sorted out, so it’s not yet clear how soon consumers will be able to enjoy these benefits. It’s also possible doing so may require new hardware. There are already routers out there can zoom past Gigabit Wi-Fi speeds.

In addition, the FCC voted to auction off more spectrum for use by wireless broadband carriers. The AWS-3 spectrum had been used by law enforcement and government.