Rural Broadband at Heart of Boeing, 5G Clash Over V-Band Satellite Plans
Consideration of Boeing's V-band satellite constellation plans could involve which companies -- satellite operators or terrestrial wireless -- are well-suited to serve the rural market. CTIA, T-Mobile and Straight Path Communications, in final replies Monday to Boeing's application for its non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) mega constellation, disputed which technology is best for serving rural subscribers. Boeing's application also triggered a processing round with a March 1 deadline for applications and petitions for declaratory ruling on similar NGSO satellite operations in the same frequency bands.
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In trying to make its public interest case for its constellation, Boeing "erected a strawman -- that terrestrial carriers do not serve rural markets," CTIA said in a reply Monday. Minus any kind of demand forecast that shows fixed satellite services are needed to meet consumer demand, and that demand justifies the 10 GHz Boeing wants to license, the Boeing application falls short of making a case for its plans being in the public interest, it said. The association said Boeing hasn't shown why it can't make its plans work using the 22 GHz already allocated for FSS between 3 and 80 GHz.
T-Mobile -- repeating the assertion by multiple wireless interests that Boeing's application should wait in line behind the spectrum frontiers proceeding (see 1612020002) -- replied that the question of whether rural and underserved regions are having their broadband needs met should be subject of a rulemaking and not addressed as part of an application consideration. It said satellite broadband is a niche service, but 5G terrestrial services being developed "have the potential to expand terrestrial services' already significant reach." The carrier said V-band should be opened for use beyond satellite service; V-band use is under consideration as part of spectrum frontiers.
Boeing's argument about the satellite broadband market justifying its spectrum needs "is simply belied by the facts and the inherent efficiency of the technology," Straight Path Communications said. The FCC "must take a holistic view of millimeter wave spectrum use and balance allocations to best meet the needs of the American public," it said, saying the satellite industry already might have a disproportionate amount of spectrum given its market share of mobile service. Straight Path said the application and its ask to raise satellite power flux density (PFD) limits and allow unlimited satellite user equipment in the 37-40 GHz band would crowd out mobile broadband in that band and jeopardize 5G, and said the FCC should deny those Boeing requests.
FiberTower Spectrum also challenged Boeing's waiver requests in the 37-40 GHz band. Its reply said Boeing hasn't addressed the effects of ongoing or continuous boresight interference into upper microwave flexible use system (UMFUS) deployments from its mega constellation and called for better analysis that verifiably shows Boeing operations won't interfere with terrestrial operations. UMFUS systems still are being developed and UMFUS manufacturers need to be party of any potential studies about PFD limit changes in the band, FiberTower said.
Boeing's proposed constellation "would decisively address the broadband gap in rural, remote and impoverished areas where terrestrial providers cannot or will not build out," the company said in a statement. "For customers that remain unserved or underserved by terrestrial providers, or who do not have the benefit of competition between broadband providers, high-speed satellite broadband will be a valuable, even critical service. While no single service or technology may be sufficient or appropriate to bring broadband to all consumers, terrestrial and satellite technologies are complementary and together can ensure consumers have access to high-quality, competitive broadband regardless of where they live." It said use of phased-array antennas, narrow beam-forming, and satellite-tracking capabilities will result in a system "that will achieve next-generation connection speed and highly efficient spectrum reuse, while facilitating robust spectrum sharing with the terrestrial Upper Microwave Fixed Use Service systems authorized in the FCC’s Spectrum Frontiers proceeding."