The Wireless Innovation Forum released last week “Developments Towards a More Robust and Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Network,” a member-approved document that calls for improvements in sharing systems, including in the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) and for 6 GHz automated frequency coordination (AFC). The document was written by a working group that WInnForum launched a year ago (see 2408220049).
WISPA on Monday urged the FCC not to make disruptive changes to rules for the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) band, which it said offers a “scalable rural broadband solution.” CBRS advocates have said they're concerned about potential changes to power levels in the band, which they see as possible under Chairman Brendan Carr (see 2503130049). The spectrum provisions in the reconciliation package signed into law by President Donald Trump also don’t exclude CBRS from potential reallocation (see 2507070045).
NCTA opposed Airspan Networks’ request last month for a waiver allowing it to manufacture a multiband radio device that operates across the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) and C bands. “The FCC has seen deep interest by wireless providers in deployment of 5G service in both the 3450 MHz and the 3700 MHz bands, and there is an ongoing, recognized and growing need for base station manufacturers to support operations in these bands cost-effectively,” Airspan said in its request.
President Donald Trump signed off Friday on the revised budget reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, restoring the FCC’s spectrum auction authority for the first time since it lapsed in March 2023. The measure, which ultimately mirrored the Senate’s version, mandates an 800 MHz spectrum auction pipeline but exempts the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands from potential reallocation (see 2507030056). The National Emergency Number Association and WISPA separately aired grievances with Congress failing to act on the groups’ policy priorities via reconciliation.
The House on Thursday narrowly passed the Senate-cleared version of the HR-1 budget reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (see 2507010070). Passage came after a marathon all-night session, during which most Republicans who had previously resisted backing the measure ultimately voted for it amid pressure and cajoling from GOP leadership and President Donald Trump. The lower chamber approved HR-1 218-214, with only two Republicans joining all 212 Democrats in opposition.
House action on the Senate-cleared version of the HR-1 budget reconciliation package, previously known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, appeared in doubt Wednesday afternoon amid resistance from several GOP lawmakers. Critics of Senate Commerce Committee Republicans’ HR-1 spectrum language held out hope amid the ruckus that lawmakers would make additional bands ineligible for potential reallocation. The Senate narrowly passed its HR-1 language Tuesday (see 2507010070).
Nokia filed a report this week at the FCC on its initial commercial deployment as a spectrum access system manager in the citizens broadband radio service band. Nokia asked the FCC not to make public the information it filed, which was posted Wednesday in docket 15-319 and completely redacted. The FCC approved Nokia’s application last summer (see 2407180035).
NCTA vigorously defended its arguments against making major changes to the technical rules for the citizens broadband radio service band. In a filing posted Wednesday in docket 17-258, NCTA said the CBRS framework “has enabled an impressive and growing array of users and use cases in the 3.5 GHz band, reinforcing the United States’s global leadership in spectrum policy.” It said, "Higher base station power levels and a relaxed in-band emissions limit of -13 dBm/MHz, individually and together, would fundamentally alter the nature of the CBRS band and yield a multitude of harms.”
Nextlink Internet Chief Strategy Officer Claude Aiken and 23 officials from other Texas-based WISPA member companies urged the state's GOP senators, Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, to “consider the importance of shared spectrum, particularly” the 3550-3650 MHz citizens broadband radio service band, as the chamber moves forward on a budget reconciliation package that Republicans want to include airwaves legislative language. Cruz led a Senate Commerce reconciliation proposal for an 800 MHz pipeline of reallocated spectrum that would exclude some DOD-controlled bands but doesn't address CBRS (see 2506060029).
Federated Wireless representatives urged the FCC to protect citizens broadband radio service operations from harmful interference in a meeting with an aide to Chairman Brendan Carr. There are “practical, near-term improvements” to CBRS operations that “can be readily implemented,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-258. They include “more realistic incumbent protections, higher base station power and harmonized out-of-band emissions.”