Incumbent public safety users of the 4.9 GHz band don’t agree with wireless advocates about expanding the band to unlicensed use or coordinating spectrum sharing, said comments filed by Monday’s deadline in docket 07-100. Allowing unlicensed use would ensure the most use “from the broadest set of stakeholders,” said the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute. Sharing the band should be handled carefully because public safety can't go anywhere else, public safety groups said. “What alternative spectrum has been made available?” asked the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council. “To NPSTC’s knowledge, none has been identified.”
Congress approved $50 million in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for a 3.1-3.45 GHz study, to be done by DOD, with the support of NTIA. Carriers had worked behind the scenes to oppose the allocation, which was a top priority of DOD, industry officials said. The legislation would give DOD 21 months to complete the study and says an auction can't start before May 31, 2025. Some say that's too much time and carriers can’t wait almost four years for more mid-band spectrum for 5G.
Governments worldwide are generally failing at making more spectrum available for 5G, former FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said Tuesday at the virtual 5G Manufacturing Forum. “Not enough attention is being placed and not enough spectrum is being cleared … given the transformational nature” of 5G, O’Rielly said. Other speakers said challenges remain to broader use of 5G by manufacturers.
Charter Communications will launch a field trial early next year that pairs its Wi-Fi service with citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) band small cells for mobile subscribers, letting it offload wireless traffic that otherwise would be on Verizon's network through the companies' mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement. The test will involve thousands of pole-mounted small cellsites in an unnamed designated market area, CEO Tom Rutledge said Friday as the company announced Q3 results. Charter bought 210 licenses in 106 counties in the 2020 CBRS auction. Rutledge said Wi-Fi with CBRS has "an opportunity to make a significant change" in how much traffic is on Charter's network vs. using the MVNO.
Incumbent informing capability, a new and sophisticated sharing technology that makes use of AI and machine learning, is a major NTIA focus, but the agency doesn’t have the congressional funding it needs to put IIC in place, experts told us. IIC would be the next generation of sharing, a more sophisticated version of what's being done in the citizens broadband radio service, replacing the environmental sensing capability (ESC) used in that band.
The Biden administration is looking past 5G to 6G, said Evelyn Remaley, NTIA acting administrator, at the Americas Spectrum Management Conference Wednesday. She's “very optimistic” about opening the 3.1-3.45 GHz band for 5G and sees industry support for developing a national spectrum strategy. Others cited the importance of the C-band and issues that must be addressed after the record-setting auction.
The FCC remains focused on opening the 3.1-3.45 GHz band for 5G, acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told the Americas Spectrum Management Conference Tuesday. Other speakers said the U.S. is making progress on 5G, but it's a time of uncertainty and change on spectrum policy. Promoters had planned an in-person event but took it virtual with the rise in COVID-19 infections.
The FCC let spectrum access system administrator Amdocs use Key Bridge’s environmental sensing capability to protect federal incumbents in the citizens broadband radio service band. “Amdocs has demonstrated that its SAS can properly interoperate with Key Bridge’s ESC and that it will comply with all relevant provisions of the Commission’s part 96 rules,” said a Wednesday notice by the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology.
Two FCC Wi-Fi items, on rules for automated frequency control in 6 GHz and a notice of inquiry on IoT spectrum needs, likely will have smooth sailing Thursday with 4-0 votes. Neither has been particularly controversial since drafts circulated two weeks ago, though Lumen had recent calls with aides to all four commissioners, saying the AFC rules as proposed don’t go far enough. Commissioner Brendan Carr sought a few tweaks on the NOI, but otherwise both items are expected to be approved largely as-is.
DOD is focused on making 3.1-3.45 GHz available for 5G, but doing so won’t be easy, said Vernita Harris, director-spectrum policy and programs, at the virtual NTIA Spectrum Policy Symposium Tuesday. Others said after the fights during the last administration, the Biden administration is improving coordination on sharing between federal agencies. The 3.1-3.45 GHz band is widely viewed as the most promising mid-band spectrum on the horizon for 5G.