CERCI at Odds With AT&T on APCO Proposal Seeking 5G Rules for 4.9 GHz Spectrum
The Coalition for Emergency Response and Critical Infrastructure (CERCI) slammed the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials’ request that the FCC launch an NPRM on rules for the 4.9 GHz band (see 2502070020), including increasing the equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) limits to make the band more attractive for 5G. AT&T, which stands to benefit through its partnership with FirstNet, strongly supported the change.
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CERCI represents Verizon, T-Mobile and other interests that have opposed FirstNet control of the band. Comments were posted Monday in docket 07-100.
APCO asks that 4.9 GHz base stations be permitted to operate at Part 27 commercial wireless levels, “a maximum EIRP of 3280 Watts/MHz (or 65 dBm/MHz), which is 19 dB higher -- or nearly 80 times more powerful -- than the current EIRP limit of 46 dBm/MHz,” CERCI said. “APCO provides no analysis whatsoever of the interference environment such changes will create for existing public-safety service in the 4.9 GHz band.”
The coalition added: “To be clear, APCO does not represent all public-safety interests, and many public-safety entities are far more supportive of maintaining and expanding existing operations in the band than a plan to enable full-power operations for AT&T’s exclusive commercial and public-safety use.”
AT&T said the changes sought by APCO are necessary to spur greater use of the 4.9 GHz band. Although the 4.9 GHz order and related FCC decisions “envision the deployment of 5G in 4.9 GHz, the existing technical rules governing the band are not consistent with unleashing 5G’s full public safety potential.” Quick action is important for the changes to be incorporated into the 3rd Generation Partnership Project’s 5G standards for Release 19, the carrier said. “If the Commission does not act in time, support for the band would fall to Release 20, thereby delaying public safety 5G deployments by a significant and unnecessary 18 to 24 months.”
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which uses 4.9 GHz for transit communications, backed the APCO petition but called for changes, including specifying higher power levels for vehicular-mounted mobile stations than for handheld devices. “The low latency and high capacity of 5G technology will allow MTA to move trains more safely while also more closely together and more frequently meaning more people can be transported on less crowded trains.”
The Public Safety Spectrum Alliance, which supports FirstNet use of the band, also supported the APCO petition. Allowing the use of 5G technologies “could greatly expand the use of the band as well as make innovative applications available … to first responders,” it said.
Fujitsu Network Communications agreed with APCO on the changes. 5G “offers significant improvements in speed, latency, and capacity compared to previous generations of wireless technology,” Fujitsu said. The technologies “are designed to maximize spectrum efficiency, enabling more users and applications to operate within the same bandwidth.” Deploying 5G in the band will also “create new economic opportunities for equipment manufacturers, service providers and public safety agencies,” the company said.
Ericsson said APCO’s proposed updates “closely align with proven, harmonized power and interference limits already used for commercial mobile broadband under Part 27,” adding: “These revisions would enable efficient, scalable, and interference-managed 5G operations in the band, while continuing to protect public safety use and fostering greater utilization of this valuable spectrum resource.”