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.”
Federated Wireless executives discussed the need for changes to the citizens broadband radio service rules in a meeting with staff from the FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology, said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-258. Federated officials discussed “several practical, near-term improvements that can be readily implemented” in the band.
Comcast is generally well-insulated against a recession, though revenue from its theme parks and advertising is vulnerable, Chief Financial Officer Jason Armstrong said Thursday. Speaking at MoffettNathanson's Media, Internet and Communications Conference, Armstrong said the company hasn't seen signs of a weakening economy yet. In addition, he said 90% of the traffic on Comcast's Xfinity Mobile business is offloaded onto its Wi-Fi network, a greater percentage than wireless companies offload. Comcast uses its citizens broadband radio service spectrum in particularly high-density areas to offload more of that traffic, lowering its mobile virtual network operator costs, Armstrong said. As Comcast continues to scale up its wireless offering, it can offload more traffic using the CBRS spectrum, he added. Comcast expects to eventually see fiber competition "in the vast majority of our footprint." By comparison, fixed wireless and SpaceX's Starlink will represent some competition, but they're capacity constrained, he said.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas is holding off on publicly endorsing or opposing the House Commerce Committee's reconciliation package spectrum proposal (see 2505120058), but he and some other fellow panel Republicans are already looking at potential changes if it emerges from the lower chamber as currently written. House Commerce hadn't yet tackled the reconciliation measure’s spectrum language Tuesday afternoon as panel members traded barbs about the legislation’s proposed Medicaid cuts.
Tarana Wireless CEO Basil Alwan and other company officials met with FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington about the importance of the citizens broadband radio service band. “Tarana emphasized the critical role that CBRS plays in expanding broadband access -- particularly in underserved and rural communities -- by enabling flexible, affordable, and spectrum-efficient fixed wireless deployments,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-258. “Tarana’s technology, when paired with CBRS spectrum, provides fiber-class performance without the need for trenching or costly infrastructure, significantly accelerating deployment timelines.”
Spectrum for the Future went on the attack Thursday against new CTIA President Ajit Pai over his calls for more spectrum for high-power licensed use. Pai has had a big week, contributing an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal (see 2505050033) and hosting CTIA’s 5G Summit (see 2505060036). Spectrum for the Future is funded by cable companies and other sharing advocates. CTIA didn't comment Thursday.
Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday “to guard the critical spectrum resources currently assigned to” DOD, which has proposed reallocating some military-controlled bands (see 2504040068). Cantwell said any DOD reallocation in response to congressional Republicans’ push for a spectrum pipeline as part of a coming budget reconciliation package would put “short-term corporate gain ahead of our nation’s long-term security.”