FCC Approves Dual-Band Radio Waivers for Samsung and Ericsson
The FCC on Friday approved waivers for Ericsson and Samsung Electronics America to offer dual-band radios that operate across citizens broadband radio service and C-band spectrum. Samsung filed its waiver request last year, and Ericsson, which already had a waiver, sought a second that parallels Samsung's request (see 2303170044). NCTA and WISPA raised concerns, which the Wireless Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology addressed in the order.
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“As Samsung, Ericsson, and Verizon correctly noted, NCTA’s simulation went beyond the instant waiver by assuming the addition of dual band base stations operating in the 3.45 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands,” the order said: “Similarly, Samsung and Ericsson identified assumptions used in NCTA’s lab testing that may undercut the applicability of NCTA’s findings to real world deployments.”
No commenter presented information or data challenging "Samsung’s fundamental assertion that its multiband radio would produce emissions that are comparable to two co-located base station radios operating independently in the 3.5 GHz band and 3.7 GHz band,” the FCC said.
The agency found that granting Samsung and Ericsson conditional waivers “will serve the public interest by helping to facilitate the deployment of multiband devices capable of operating across multiple wireless services.” Samsung also maintains “that its multiband device would be approximately 30-45% more energy efficient than two standalone units," the order said. Verizon maintains that the “[u]se of a single radio rather than two separate radios significantly reduces deployment costs of radio, cabling, and antenna equipment,” it said.
Also on Friday, Ericsson offered the FCC clarification on its waiver request. “NCTA has raised concerns that Ericsson seeks more aggressive relief than Samsung, pointing to relief sought in the CBRS band, and with this filing we make clear that the Commission need only grant Ericsson narrow relief in 3.72-4.0 GHz and no relief in the CBRS band,” said a filing Friday in docket 25-159.