Enterprise Wireless Insider, Volume 14, Issue 4

EWA to Hold Webinar on CBRS Auction

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a Public Notice for Auction 105, which will make available Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) licenses in the 3550-3650 MHz band for the seven Priority Access Licenses (PALs). The auction will commence on June 25, 2020, and each PAL will consist of a 10 MHz unpaired channel in each county-based license area. To provide members with information about CBRS opportunities, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) will be holding a webinar entitled “What’s Ahead for CBRS” on March 18. Register today.

EWA to Participate in T-Band Hill Day

On March 10, EWA will join representatives from over 11 organizations representing the interests of Public Safety T-Band licensees at the T-Band Press Conference and Hill Day. The event will take place at the Capitol and will begin with a press conference. EWA will be representing the interests of Business/Industrial and Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) licensees who utilize T-Band spectrum.

FAC/FCC Application Cooperation

On February 11, the Business/Industrial Land Transportation (B/ILT) frequency advisory committees (FACs) sent recommended protocols to the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB), summarizing issues discussed at the meeting with the staff in Gettysburg and Washington, DC. These include regular meetings with WTB, advance notice of changes in licensing policies, and mechanisms other than application returns to correct simple issues. The FCC has already sent several FACs questions regarding applications via email, demonstrating the effort to improve this process.

EWA Files in Support of 800 MHz Guard Band Waiver Request

The WTB has asked for comment on a waiver request from the company providing security, maintenance, and other services at the new stadium where the Las Vegas Raiders are scheduled to begin playing in the Fall of 2020. The applicant has requested three Guard Band Channels, which are not yet available because Las Vegas is within the buffer zone beyond the Mexican Border Region which has been subject to an FCC freeze since 2013. 

In comments supporting the request, EWA noted that FCC rules provide for waiver relief when a grant would be in the public interest or when the applicant has no reasonable alternatives. Consistent with the time urgency detailed in the Waiver Request and that  Opening Day is only months away, the Commission was advised in the request that the communications facilities at the stadium must be installed and tested well before the doors open for crowds of up to 65,000, plus the thousands of persons that are needed to support an NFL stadium on game day.  Security of this facility and of the people who work and attend events, mandates a secure, resilient, reliable communications system to serve the public interest. Having met the Commission’s waiver requirements, EWA urged the Commission to expeditiously grant the relief requested.

B/ILT Coordinators Seek to Resolve Licensing/Coordination Issues

B/ILT FACs are reviewing a Petition for Rulemaking seeking clarification of the protection requirements for mobile-only systems and the application of the “safe harbor” tables. The FACs are proposing that wide-area mobile-only systems with area of operations greater than 80 km have secondary status.

New T-Band Legislation Introduced

On February 18, Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) introduced the “FIRST RESPONDER Act of 2020” (H.R. 5928). This bill would repeal the T-Band auction mandate and require the FCC to initiate a rulemaking on 911-fee diversion. Whether this legislation will make progress while previous legislative efforts have not is unknown.

CTIA Files Report on 6 GHz, Urges FCC to Relocate Incumbents

On February 24, CTIA filed a report prepared by Comsearch “that analyzes the potential to relocate licensed fixed incumbents” and urged the FCC to adopt a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on “licensing the upper portion of the 6 GHz band (6.525-7.125 GHz) while relocating incumbent users at the expense of winning bidders.”

Lawsuit to Block Sprint/T-Mobile Merger Rejected

On February 11, the US District Court (SDNY) rejected a lawsuit from multiple states seeking to block the merger that had been approved by the FCC and the U.S. Department of Justice, seemingly the last obstacle to consummation of the consolidation of two of the country’s nationwide carriers.    

Hands-Free Driving Law Takes Effect in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ new hands-free driving law went into effect on February 23. Drivers can only use electronic devices and mobile phones in hands-free mode and are permitted to touch devices only to activate hands-free mode.

PR Companies Fined for Interfering with FAA Radars

• Broadband Telecommunications Network Corporation, dba Integra Wireless, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 
• CA Solutions, Inc., dba Boom Solutions and Boom Net, LLC, dba Boom Solutions, Caguas, Puerto Rico.