Speakers offered a very different view of the citizens broadband radio service during a Connected Real Estate virtual conference Wednesday. With the CBRS auction to start Thursday (see 2007200049), there was both optimism and continuing skepticism (see 2007210052) about how much interest the band will get.
Private LTE and the citizens broadband radio service won’t be a major factor for in-building connectivity for years to come, speakers warned during the third installment Tuesday of Connect (X), the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s virtual trade show. The FCC is to start an auction Thursday of priority access licenses (see 2007200049).
The FCC will start the priority access license (PAL) auction Thursday. Among the 271 qualified bidders are AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile; and the biggest MVPDs including Comcast, Charter and Cox, Dish Network. Also qualified are electric utilities, wireless ISPs and enterprise customers including various universities and John Deere.
Chairman Ajit Pai said Wednesday the FCC will stick with Dec. 8 for starting the auction of C-band spectrum for 5G, circulating draft final auction procedures (see 2007150047). Commissioners approved the auction 3-2 in February, including a procedures NPRM (see 2002280044). The FCC will also consider inmate calling services rates and media modernization among other items at the Aug. 6 commissioners’ meeting.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told the American Council of Technology-Industry Advisory Council he has hopes for the citizens broadband radio service auction. In two weeks, “the Commission will begin the auction of 3.5 GHz Priority Access Licenses, making available 70 megahertz of valuable mid-band spectrum for 5G,” said the text of Pai speech in Friday's Daily Digest: “Over 270 applicants have qualified to bid.”
Reallocate at least 45 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for unlicensed use and consider moving auto safety to the lightly used 4.9 GHz band, New America said in a paper Thursday. Action on 5.9 GHz “is particularly critical for consumers and the economy to the extent that it creates the first unencumbered 160 megahertz channel to support the next generation of Wi-Fi technology that will help Americans everywhere to access gigabit-fast and affordable 5G-capable applications and services,” the group said: Reserving 30 MHz for vehicle-to-everything technology “strikes an appropriate balance.” The FCC is expected to reallocate the band this summer (see 2004300032). Moving V2X to 4.9 GHz or another band would “better harmonize V2X services with 5G networks” and a potential “roadblock” to Wi-Fi in 5.9 GHz, the group said. Auto industry groups didn’t comment. The FCC is also expected to take another look at the 4.9 GHz band (see 2005040061). Fixed wireless networks depend on spectrum and Wireless ISP Association members need more quickly, especially 5.9 GHz, said Louis Peraertz, vice president-policy, during a WifiForward webinar Thursday. WISPs faced sharp increases in demand as a result of the pandemic, up 36% on average based on a member survey, he said. The band used by WISPs under special temporary authority from the FCC has been critical and members hope the STAs will be extended “because losing this spectrum will be too disruptive to their consumers,” he said. TCC Networks relies on unlicensed spectrum in the 5, 24 and 60 GHz bands, said CEO Donald Dawson. The Massachusetts WISP is looking at the citizens broadband radio service band, “but the concern about the level of difficulty there is scaring us a bit,” he said: “What we are in great need for is additional unlicensed spectrum.” Use of 5.9 GHz spectrum allowed TCC to keep up with COVID-19 demands and add bandwidth for all users, Dawson said.
Wireless interests made pitches for requiring 3.7 GHz licensees to make available time division duplexing synchronization with citizens broadband radio service operations in the adjacent band, in docket 18-122 replies posted Tuesday to responses to the petitions for reconsideration of the FCC C-band order. The C-band transition cost catalog is useful only if accurate, and getting additional comment won't delay the move, NCTA said, saying the Wireless Bureau should at least continue to revisit and seek occasional comment on the catalog to ensure the cost amounts stay reasonable. It said the FCC should make clear CBRS operations are entitled to interference protection and new 3.7 GHz licensees need to work with CBRS operators in good faith to prevent and mitigate that interference, including by making TDD available to CBRS operators. The Wireless ISP Association and NTCA also backed requiring flexible use licensees in the C band making TDD synchronization information available to adjacent CBRS band users. Charter said no one disputed the benefit of TDD synchronization, so requiring it would provide certainty. Intelsat said it can't be responsible for interference to earth stations post-transition if rules don't protect against flexible use operations' interference. It urged reconsidering technical specifications for telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C) filters. Recapping meetings with staff for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, NAB and content companies urged either all integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) equipment costs be allocated as a satellite cost, with satellite operators paying installation costs to MVPDs, or bifurcated, with the equipment costs a satellite operator expense and costs of installation allocated to the MVPD and in the lump sum. They said the average estimated cost of installation of an IRD is $900 when installed by the MVPD or a contractor. In a back-and-forth over Eutelsat's petition, SES filed. If carriers, which ultimately will pay moving costs, don't object to reimbursement criteria, it's hard to see what legitimate grounds those non-C-band users stand on, it said. Eutelsat said the opposition doesn't refute its core argument the move would proceed more smoothly with the FCC being absolutely clear about what are reasonable and necessary reimbursement costs. T-Mobile urged rejecting recon petitions seeking more protections for incumbent earth station users, TT&C/gateway sites and CBRS.
European regulators may not make decisions for another 10 years on the future of broadcast TV in the UHF band, speakers said Monday at conclusion of the virtual European Spectrum Management Conference. The FCC repurposed 84 MHz of UHF for wireless in a 2016-17 incentive auction. Such a swath in Europe remains hotly contested between carriers seeking low-band for 5G and broadcasters.
The FCC remains concerned about receiver standards, Wireless Bureau Chief Donald Stockdale said at the virtual European Spectrum Management Conference Wednesday. Stockdale suggested the FCC do more to address the issue. Speakers on a second panel said Europe may not follow the U.S. in allocating the entire 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use, which the FCC did in April (see 2004230059).
The citizens broadband radio service band appears to be off to a strong start, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said during a ConnectX webinar Tuesday. O’Rielly expects July 23’s priority access license auction to take place as planned, though he said that’s a decision to be made by Chairman Ajit Pai. Other speakers said CBRS will get wide use.