U.S. Targeting More Spectrum, 2.5 GHz Protections, at WRC
Preventing interference at 2.5 GHz, especially in light of growing satellite activity in that band in Asia and the Middle East, is likely to be one of the biggest topics during WRC 2007 when it gets under way next Oct., speakers agreed during a panel discussion Thurs. at the Wireless Communications Assn. conference. Industry officials said the U.S. appears to be making progress in protecting the band, which is a priority of the U.S. high tech sector.
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While no U.S. satellites operate at 2.5 GHz, that isn’t true of the rest of the world. U.S. interests are concerned because of powerful HEO satellites launched by Japan, creating potential interference in the U.S. Northwest, and by the 4 satellites that will provide AirTV, which are bringing live TV to commercial flights.
“Because the band in the U.S. has been allocated for all kinds of applications, we're trying to protect the spectrum in the U.S.,” said Harry Perlow, an engineer at Sprint Nextel and chmn. of the WCA Engineering Committee. “However, that does not give the U.S., which is one of many, 189 countries, the right to tell other countries what they can or cannot do.” Perlow added: “In a nutshell, we're trying to cooperate on a very, very complex problem.”
But Perlow also said the U.S. efforts to establish some controls on emissions from the satellites may be gaining momentum. “It’s difficult to read the tea leaves,” he said. “My sense is we've made significant progress with the satellite community, the participating countries. I see a great deal of progress from where we were in 2002.”
“That will be one of the bigger issues,” said a source at the conference who follows WRC issues. “What you're seeing globally is a real divide between the satellite guys and the terrestrial guys.” The source said that the WRC is examining 3 possibilities -- hard limits, hard limits and cooperation, and just cooperation, which is effectively the status quo.
“There will be a lot of fighting over this one,” the source said. “Hopefully they can agree on a compromise if not the U.S. proposal for hard limits.”
Other issues also have emerged as hot topics heading into the next WRC, which has before it 28 agenda items agreed on during WRC 2003.
Alexander Roytblat, WRC 2007 dir. in the International Bureau at the FCC, highlighted satellite-terrestrial interference issues, as well as the push to find more bands worldwide for advanced wireless technologies. Another topic likely to get attention is the implementation and development of mobile networks based on IMT 2000 and its evolutions. Roytblat said U.S. companies have much at stake in the WRC discussions. “[Spectrum] is a limited resource and everybody wants it,” he said. “And it doesn’t stop at the border.”
Kurt Schaubach, senior vp at NextWave Broadband, said his company wants to see additional bands opened up worldwide for companies like his, which offers high-speed Internet service using WiMAX. “We're very interested in seeing more spectrum come to market, he said.
One industry source said that while most U.S. carriers are focused on more immediate acquisition of spectrum, especially with the advanced wireless services auction getting under way in Aug., long term spectrum needs also are important. “Getting spectrum is a big one and that’s one of the tougher ones,” said the industry source. There are no bands that are globally available. If you look for example at the 3.4-3.7 GHz, the 3.7-4.2 GHz, that’s encumbered here in the U.S. You have that problem in all the different regions; you're going to have different uses in those bands. Coming up with a globally harmonized band will be quite challenging.