Spectrum Alliance Members Raise Upper C-Band Concerns
Members of the North American Spectrum Alliance spoke with FCC staff about the need for the agency to look more closely at upper C-band issues, according to a filing Wednesday in docket 25-59. The FCC is examining an auction of the spectrum, which carriers see as well-suited for full-power licensed use.
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Alliance members “emphasized to FCC staff that the Upper C-band is more than 3.98 to 4.2 GHz, used for downlink services, but is paired with the 6.205 to 6.425 GHz band for uplink services,” the filing said. “This 6 GHz uplink spectrum is therefore essential for using Upper C-band downlink spectrum.” Upper C-band usage “is not on the decline,” it said. “Demand for Upper C-band usage is increasing, as customers (e.g., network content creators) are producing content with larger and more complex data requirements, resulting in increased bandwidth needs.”
Following the first C-band auction, “this issue with the 6 GHz band was supposed to be addressed in a separate FCC proceeding, but that has not occurred,” the alliance said. That must happen before any auction of upper C-band spectrum, it added.