CBRS

NCTA urged aides to FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr, Geoffrey Starks and Nathan Simington to adopt parts of the citizens broadband radio service rules in the framework for the 3.45-3.55 GHz band. There's “concern expressed by many commenters in the record regarding the coexistence of deployments in the CBRS band with new adjacent 3.45 GHz operations,” said Tuesday's posting in docket 19-348.

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance warned the FCC that all states may not be ready to move forward with new rules for the 4.9 GHz band, approved 3-2 in September (see 2009300050), under which states will assign use of the spectrum. APCO raised concerns about the FCC’s order in general, in comments due Wednesday in docket 07-100. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks dissented to the order, and experts say its future is in question (see 2012300047). The proposal is “novel,” EWA said: “It will require states to take on spectrum management and leasing duties for which some have little or no experience, and perhaps limited interest. While there are parties with expertise available to help guide them, this is not an undertaking that will proceed smoothly and at the same pace in all states, whether or not a State Band Manager also is involved.” The FCC will need to stay involved and oversee the process, the alliance said. Reconsider the order, APCO said. “The new approach to expanding use of the 4.9 GHz band is unlikely to promote public safety or the Commission’s spectrum utilization goals,” APCO commented: “Continuing with this ill-conceived model for fragmented state-by-state spectrum leasing would be a mistake.” Lift the 4.9 GHz freeze, urged the California Department of Transportation. Freezing incumbents in place is “severely disruptive to state and local entities that have operational needs requiring continued access to the 4.9 GHz spectrum and prevents system expansions for months and possibly longer,” the department said. Protect 4.9 GHz incumbents “against interference and signal degradation as states enter into lease arrangements,” it said. Federated Wireless called for a spectrum management system comparable to what’s in place in the citizens broadband radio service band. Similar to CBRS, “the 4.9 GHz band currently supports operations by disparate users, including radio astronomy, naval training operations, public safety and critical infrastructure operations,” Federated said: “As the Commission expands access to the band to include non-public-safety, flexible-use lessees, the number of users and uses will continue to grow.” Make use of the sharing technologies used in other bands, said Nokia. “Encourage cross-jurisdictional cooperation, whether between states or on a regional basis,” it advised: “While we believe that the band could be useful for small-scale enterprise deployments, certain critical infrastructure providers (such as railroads and utilities) and carriers could span multiple states.” The Wireless ISP Association said its members are interested in the spectrum. More use of the band “will trigger investment and promote public safety use,” WISPA said: The band “has commercial value to WISPs even if it isn't 5G spectrum. For evidence, the Commission need look no further than the nearby 5 GHz U-NII bands, where commercial investment and deployment have flourished because the Commission’s rules do not dictate particular standards, uses or users.”

The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee unanimously approved, with no debate, a proposed memorandum of understanding Thursday between NTIA and the FCC (see 2101130054) on how they cooperate on spectrum. The current CSMAC is scheduled to meet one more time, during the new Joe Biden administration, to vote on a report on spectrum for drones.

The CBRS Alliance is expanding its focus beyond the citizens broadband radio service band and is now the OnGo Alliance. The group will look at 3rd Generation Partnership Project “technologies operating in shared spectrum bands around the globe.” The FCC, NTIA and DOD “are actively considering other bands for sharing,” said Executive Director Alan Ewing: “Additionally, the Alliance is being contacted by international organizations that would like to engage and become affiliated.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is expected to tee up several items for a busy Jan. 13 open meeting, his last on the commission, industry and FCC officials said. The meeting is expected to be 5G heavy, including a notice on a 2.5 GHz auction and possibly a 3.45-3.55 GHz and 12 GHz item. Also likely, Pai could use the meeting to complete action on the latest Communications Act Section 706 report (see 2012160051) and other items he wants to finalize as chairman. Pai’s blog on the meeting is due Tuesday, with draft items to be posted Wednesday.

Google urged the FCC to move forward on an incumbent-informing spectrum sharing system operated by DOD for the citizens broadband radio service and adjacent 3.45-3.55 GHz band. “Such a system would notify authorized non-government users when they need to temporarily cease commercial operations in all or portions of the 3.45-3.55 GHz band to protect government operations” and would “avoid spectrum waste” inherent in the environmental sensing capability framework used in CBRS, said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-348.

The Edison Electric Institute supported the FCC’s proposal to open the 3.45-3.55 GHz band for flexible-use wireless services but said the FCC should adopt rules patterned on those in the adjacent citizens broadband radio service band. “Electric companies are undergoing increased demand for communications networks primarily because they are undertaking a process of grid modernization, which entails the increased use of automation and remote monitoring and control,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-348.

The Wireless Infrastructure Association said Wednesday it offers certification for citizens broadband radio service professional installers.

Reallocate the 3.45-3.55 GHz band based on flexible use rules, similar to those in the C band, CTIA told the FCC in reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 19-348. Carriers offered similar advice, while others said sharing would mean faster use of the spectrum. Commissioners sought comment in a Further NPRM approved 5-0 in September (see 2009300034). “Action is essential to further promoting nationwide, full-power, wide-area 5G service, which will drive a dynamic 5G ecosystem across the United States,” CTIA said. The group opposed rules based on sharing in the citizens broadband radio service band: “While the CBRS framework shows promise and offers new opportunities, it is subject to lower power limits, a complex spectrum sharing scheme, and other technical limitations.” T-Mobile said CBRS-style sharing is “antithetical” to DOD’s process in making the band available. That process “determined that the spectrum can be cleared over the majority of the contiguous United States with targeted protections for federal users.” The FCC is well aware that “CBRS power levels and narrower channels would hamper development of the 3.45-3.55 GHz band as a true 5G band because the power levels are significantly lower than standard commercial wireless networks and the smaller channel sizes are not optimized for wide-bandwidth, low-latency 5G applications,” Verizon commented. View 3.45-3.55 GHz as a “first step toward making the entire 3.3-3.55 GHz band available for commercial flexible use,” the Competitive Carriers Association said. Federated Wireless argued for sharing. A sharing framework “is the only path to commercial use in the band that is fast, equitable, and supportive of a diverse set of use cases, leading to the most expeditious and intensive use of the band,” Federated said: “Extension of the CBRS sharing framework to the 3.45 GHz band will reduce coordination burdens on both federal and commercial users, while avoiding the interference problems that the vast majority of commenters predict will occur should the proposed rules be adopted.” The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance agreed: "Extending the existing CBRS framework would be the most expedient way to make this critical spectrum available for commercial 5G operations, rather than waiting for a more complicated and time-consuming clearing and auction process.” In the CBRS auction, 10 utilities submitted winning bids totaling more than $174 million for 371 priority access licenses, the Utilities Technology Council said. “Adopt county-based licenses and auction the licenses in 10 megahertz blocks, which will promote opportunities to build upon the success of the CBRS auction by enabling CBRS licensees to more easily combine their CBRS spectrum with the 3.45-3.55 GHz band.”

The FCC’s C-band auction opened Tuesday with $1.9 billion in bids after the initial two bidding rounds. The auction continues Wednesday with three rounds. Most observers are focused on Verizon and how much it bids as the major carrier with the least mid-band spectrum. The auction opened despite a late challenge from aviation interests raising interference concerns. Earlier in the day, a court ruled it won't intervene in related FCC activities (see 2012080020).