Verizon Says Bidirectional Sharing Must Be Voluntary, Negotiated
Verizon said any bidirectional sharing of spectrum with federal agencies should be based on “negotiated secondary-market arrangements in which commercial or other nonfederal licensees voluntarily offer federal entities access to nonfederal spectrum on a shared basis.” The FCC sought comment…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
on bidirectional sharing, as required by the Ray Baum's Act (see 1905010205). Comments were due Friday in docket 19-128. Don’t mandate sharing, Verizon said: “Policymakers should avoid prescriptive mandates or conditions that would undermine the exclusive-use commercial license framework.” The carrier said the process the FCC approved in April for sharing in the upper 37 GHz band demonstrates why mandates won’t work. The rules allow DOD to seek protection for additional sites following an auction of the band (see 1904120058). That decision is “a cautionary note,” Verizon said. “The FCC has added an element of uncertainty that may de-value the spectrum, negatively affect the auction of the Upper 37 GHz band, and limit its utility to support 5G investment. A better alternative would have been to permit DoD to enter into secondary market transactions with commercial licensees.”