6 GHz
The 6 GHz Report and Order (R&O) was published in the Federal Register on May 26 and the rules will become effective on July 27, 2020. APCO has filed a Petition for Stay (Stay) and a Petition for Reconsideration, arguing that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has failed in its obligation to protect public safety communications. The potential that the Stay request will be granted is a high hurdle as that would necessitate the Commission to conclude that APCO will prevail on the merits of its reconsideration request. This Commission does not often reverse course when it comes to making spectrum available for broadband purposes. Having devoted 97 pages to justifying its technical conclusion that unlicensed devices can share the band without creating more than minimal instances of interference, the FCC is not expected to change its mind particularly since all five Commissioners endorsed the decision. Whether these filings and others expected may prompt the FCC to create more robust criteria for tracking, reporting, and correcting interference to incumbent microwave systems is unknown.
Comments on the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) published with the R&O are due on June 25. The FNPRM seeks comment on a proposal to permit very low power devices to operate across the 6 GHz band to support high data-rate applications including high-performance, wearable, augmented-reality, and virtual-reality devices. (!) The notice also seeks comment on increasing the power at which low-power indoor access points may operate. The Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) membership is presently reviewing an advocacy request necessary to file comments that will include a recommendation for a substantial multi-stakeholder process for addressing the responsibilities and rights of interferers and those receiving interference. EWA anticipates a lively comment period as Commissioner Pai encouraged Wi-Fi Alliance members to participate during a June 2 meeting of the Wi-Fi Alliance membership.
Category: EWA On Your Side900 MHz Broadband
Now that the FCC has adopted rules creating broadband and narrowband segments of the 900 MHz band, EWA and Anterix are working with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) on licensing issues and related modifications to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) in preparation for voluntary incumbent transitions.
Category: EWA On Your Side
Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)
With the auction of seven 10-MHz Priority Access Licenses (PALs) scheduled to begin on July 23, many following this auction are now awaiting the release of the FCC’s Public Notice that will identify the applications accepted for filing and those requiring amendment before auction participation.
Category: EWA On Your Side
Pending Regulatory Matters
- The FCC will be issuing a NPRM covering the processes by which T-Band will be taken away from public safety and business enterprises. Maybe legislation that terminates the reallocation mandate and saves incumbents from this potential spectrum disaster will be enacted to save the day.
- A few of the 800 MHz Sprint-vacated spectrum release dates remain kittywampus that unnecessarily removes critical spectrum from otherwise eligible business enterprises. The FCC is aware of the duplicate release dates for the same channels and said a while back they would fix it.
- We are still awaiting word from the FCC in response to a request from the business coordinators to apply some reality to the rights of mobile only systems to promote spectrum efficiency. Any mobile only area of operation beyond 80 km should be secondary, especially given that the units in these systems are programmed with more channels than are probably necessary.
- A Public Notice announcing critical application processing and FCC acceptance dates for the new 12.5 kHz 800 MHz channels (still termed Interstitials in some circles) is believed to be “imminent”. More than likely, these channels will not be released in the Mexican border region and “buffer” areas, the latter providing protection to Mexican incumbent operations virtually to Fargo.