Energy Associations, WISPs Want Small License Sizes in CBRS Band
Two energy associations jointly urged the FCC to back away from proposals to sell priority access licenses (PALs) in the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) band in geographic sizes much larger than census tracts. Various wireless ISPs also raised objections. The FCC adopted an NPRM in October on several potential changes, including selling the PALs using partial economic area (PEA) licenses (see 1710240050). The Telecommunications Subcommittee of the American Petroleum Institute and the Regulatory and Technology Committee of the Energy Telecommunications and Electrical Association (ENTELEC) said larger license sizes would be detrimental to critical infrastructure companies.
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The Houston area shows why smaller licenses are important, API and ENTELEC said in a filing in docket 17-258. “The difference between the Houston PEA and any of the individual census tracts that comprise the much larger PEA demonstrates that many, if not all, [critical infrastructure] entities would be foreclosed from competing with commercial providers for CBRS spectrum in an entire PEA. An oil and gas company would not be able to compete for CBRS spectrum to cover an individual refinery, for example, if the licensed area offered by the Commission is an entire PEA.” The groups said if changes sought by industry are approved CBRS would become the “Carriers Broadband Radio Service.”
Vertical Broadband, a WISP in Delta Junction, Alaska, said it needs 3.5 GHz spectrum but in a relatively small license size. “We cover an area the size of 4/5 of New York City’s boroughs, while potentially being forced to bid on an area larger than Texas, more than twice the size of California,” Vertical told the FCC. Indiana’s New Lisbon Broadband and Communications said larger license sizes would mean only carriers would bid for the PALs, which would be bad for rural broadband deployment. “I cannot begin to tell you how changing the plan for the CBRS band at this time will just lengthen the time for Broadband deployments in the most rural of areas,” wrote Steven Barnes, the WISP’s wireless operations manager. “The Cellular companies are not covering the areas we service now.”
Aloha Broadband, serving the big island of Hawaii, said it also needs licensed 3.5 GHz spectrum so it can offer service using channel sizes as large as 15 or 20 MHz. “We ask that you keep the PALs as small as a census tract to give smaller companies … the ability to bid on the ones we need and plan to use, and not bid on areas [where] we do not offer service,” Aloha commented. “The PALs should stay small so that frequency use will be competitive.”