Some of the biggest technology and consumer electronics companies could receive a boost today as US regulators make a long-awaited decision on whether to open up part of the country's radio spectrum for unlicensed use.

The proposal's backers say it would lead to a market for faster, wider-reaching wireless networks for homes and offices. Larry Page, co-founder of Google, has called the new technology "WiFi on steroids" - a reference to the short-range wireless networking technology that also runs on unlicensed spectrum.