CBRS

The Wireless ISP Association told members Monday the FCC is communicating to it that it will allow six months for 3.65 GHz licensees whose licenses expire April 17 to transition from Part 90 to Part 96 gear. WISPA President Claude Aiken shared the news in a private Facebook group. Aiken said licenses expiring in May will likely get a five-month extension. WISPA and the Utilities Technology Council jointly requested the extension (see 1812040002). The spectrum is part of the citizens broadband radio service band. The proposal got mixed reviews when the FCC took comment in 2018 (see 1812260035).

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai could propose an order on the 6 GHz band for the April 23 meeting, industry and FCC officials said. That would move one of his biggest pieces of unfinished business, providing spectrum for unlicensed use comparable to the mid-band allocated for licensed use in the C band. Pai was expected to propose an item in March. Staff needed more time, we were told Thursday.

The draft and final bidding procedures for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band auction, approved by commissioners 5-0 Friday (see 2002280031), had no major differences. That's based on a side-by-side comparison. The priority access license auction starts June 15. The Office of Economics and Analytics and Wireless Bureau released an updated guide on technical and mathematical details of the bidding procedures Tuesday.

The FCC approved 5-0 draft bidding procedures for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, which formally schedules a June 25 auction of CBRS licenses. Unlike the C band (see 2002280044), this second mid-band item was approved after a relatively brief discussion without similar political fireworks. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel agreed the process has taken too long. The licenses will be the first mid-band spectrum the FCC has offered for 5G.

Bluespan Wireless sought a waiver to operate equipment in the citizens broadband radio service band under Part 90 of FCC rules, after an April 17 deadline. The wireless ISP said it has moved all its 3.65 GHz access points to software-upgradeable equipment certified under Part 96 rules and migrated most customers to compliant customer premise equipment. But in recent weeks, vendor “Baicells confirmed to Bluespan that its first-generation CPE will not be certified under Part 96, requiring Bluespan to undertake an unanticipated second hardware change-out for 300 customers in various parts of Bluespan’s networks,” said a petition posted Thursday in docket 18-353. Bluespan sought waiver through the end of next year.

The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) told the FCC the sharing regime in the adjacent citizens broadband radio service band could be a model across the entire 3.1-3.55 GHz range. Other commenters said amateur radio operations should remain in the spectrum. Commissioners approved an NPRM 5-0 at their December meeting (see 1912120063) proposing to remove existing nonfederal secondary and amateur allocations in the 3.1-3.55 GHz band and to relocate incumbent nonfederal operations. Comments posted through Monday in docket 19-348.

The FCC acknowledges in the draft bidding procedures notice for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band it will provide compensation to DOD for sharing costs, as specified by the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act. Industry and government officials said DOD considered that critical, especially since CBRS could be a model for other bands. But there was some confusion whether the FCC would say CSEA language applied for the auction of priority access licenses, to start June 15 (see 2002040051). Commissioners will vote on the notice Feb. 28.

The public notice setting up application and bidding procedures for citizens broadband radio service licenses to be voted on at the Feb. 28 meeting (see here) sets up the agency for a long-awaited CBRS auction, but still Ieaves some issues unaddressed, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly blogged Friday. The agency also released the other draft items. O'Rielly said unresolved are ways to reduce the protection area sizes and increasing power limits in the band.

While T-Mobile waits to see if it can complete its buy of Sprint, the bigger, would-be buying carrier Thursday reported 1.3 million branded postpaid net additions in Q4 and 4.5 million in 2019. The companies await a ruling from U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero for the Southern District of New York on the challenge of 14 states to block the transaction (see 2001150077). “The state AG trial has concluded and our team did an incredible job making our case and backing it up with the facts,” CEO John Legere said on a call with analysts: “We are 100 percent convinced that this merger will result in a more competitive market, with lower prices and a better network for customers.” T-Mobile remains “confident in a positive outcome,” Legere said: “The facts are on our side.” Legere sat in the front row of Marrero's courtroom Jan. 15 during four hours of closing argument. The California Public Utilities Commission won’t vote until at least March (see 2001290029). T-Mobile is interested in citizens broadband radio service licenses but doesn’t view them as “transformative,” Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said: “We know a lot about CBRS already. We see it as primarily as small-cell spectrum layer” limited by power levels. T-Mobile reported record service revenue of $8.7 billion, up 6 percent over the year-ago quarter, total revenue of $11.9 billion, up 4 percent. Profit was $751 million, up 61 percent. T-Mobile has postpaid churn of 1.01 percent. Legere will step down May 1, to be replaced by Mike Sievert, currently president-chief operating officer (see 1911180038). “We gained [customer] share and were the only one to beat expectations for service revenues and adjusted EBITDA during Q4,” Sievert told analysts. T-Mobile expects Q1 deal-related costs of as much as $300 million.

Federated Wireless raised citizens broadband radio service concerns about the C band, in a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-122. FCC members will consider a proposal for the band at their Feb. 28 meeting (see 2002060057). “The Commission should consider various means to ensure that newly authorized C-Band flexible use operations do not impair the upper CBRS spectrum,” Federated said: “One readily available solution is to use an automated coordination capability, such as a Spectrum Access System.”