FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released a compilation of comments Wednesday supporting his proposal for converting 280 MHz of C band spectrum to 5G through an auction later this year. Whether the order will include aggregation limits is emerging as a key issue on the eighth floor at the FCC. FCC Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks both appear to favor some limits, while Commissioner Mike O’Rielly is a hard no, industry and FCC officials told us.
The FCC acknowledges in the draft bidding procedures notice for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band it will provide compensation to DOD for sharing costs, as specified by the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act. Industry and government officials said DOD considered that critical, especially since CBRS could be a model for other bands. But there was some confusion whether the FCC would say CSEA language applied for the auction of priority access licenses, to start June 15 (see 2002040051). Commissioners will vote on the notice Feb. 28.
Intelsat is getting shareholder pressure to hold out for sweeter terms with the FCC's C-band clearing plan, but it's considered unlikely to go that route. The FCC and Intelsat didn't comment. Competitive issues also continue to be raised in filings at the agency.
The public notice setting up application and bidding procedures for citizens broadband radio service licenses to be voted on at the Feb. 28 meeting (see here) sets up the agency for a long-awaited CBRS auction, but still Ieaves some issues unaddressed, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly blogged Friday. The agency also released the other draft items. O'Rielly said unresolved are ways to reduce the protection area sizes and increasing power limits in the band.
Federated Wireless raised citizens broadband radio service concerns about the C band, in a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-122. FCC members will consider a proposal for the band at their Feb. 28 meeting (see 2002060057). “The Commission should consider various means to ensure that newly authorized C-Band flexible use operations do not impair the upper CBRS spectrum,” Federated said: “One readily available solution is to use an automated coordination capability, such as a Spectrum Access System.”
While T-Mobile waits to see if it can complete its buy of Sprint, the bigger, would-be buying carrier Thursday reported 1.3 million branded postpaid net additions in Q4 and 4.5 million in 2019. The companies await a ruling from U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero for the Southern District of New York on the challenge of 14 states to block the transaction (see 2001150077). “The state AG trial has concluded and our team did an incredible job making our case and backing it up with the facts,” CEO John Legere said on a call with analysts: “We are 100 percent convinced that this merger will result in a more competitive market, with lower prices and a better network for customers.” T-Mobile remains “confident in a positive outcome,” Legere said: “The facts are on our side.” Legere sat in the front row of Marrero's courtroom Jan. 15 during four hours of closing argument. The California Public Utilities Commission won’t vote until at least March (see 2001290029). T-Mobile is interested in citizens broadband radio service licenses but doesn’t view them as “transformative,” Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said: “We know a lot about CBRS already. We see it as primarily as small-cell spectrum layer” limited by power levels. T-Mobile reported record service revenue of $8.7 billion, up 6 percent over the year-ago quarter, total revenue of $11.9 billion, up 4 percent. Profit was $751 million, up 61 percent. T-Mobile has postpaid churn of 1.01 percent. Legere will step down May 1, to be replaced by Mike Sievert, currently president-chief operating officer (see 1911180038). “We gained [customer] share and were the only one to beat expectations for service revenues and adjusted EBITDA during Q4,” Sievert told analysts. T-Mobile expects Q1 deal-related costs of as much as $300 million.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposes holding Phase I auctions for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund on Oct. 22. Pai circulated a public notice among commissioners Thursday proposing procedures for the Phase I auctions, which would allot up to $16 billion of the $20.4 billion USF rural broadband program, he blogged, outlining his agenda for the Feb. 28 meeting. The RDOF auction procedural PN is one of eight items for what Pai is calling "spectrum month." Drafts are expected to be released Friday. Pai's proposal Thursday to pay up to $9.7 billion to C-band incumbents to free the spectrum for a Dec. 8 auction (see 2002060057) will lead the February meeting.
Questions remain whether the FCC will agree with NTIA that DOD should receive compensation under the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (CSEA) for its costs to make changes needed for sharing in the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band. The FCC is part of a technical panel, with NTIA and OMB, that last year endorsed the costs. It hasn't issued a public notice required under the CSEA.
Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee members stressed Tuesday that the Spectrum Strategy Governance Subcommittee's work on potential major changes to federal oversight of spectrum is very preliminary (see 2001270046). The subcommittee updated CSMAC at the group’s quarterly meeting.
The FCC certified the first four spectrum access system administrators for full-scale commercial launch of unlicensed use of the citizens broadband radio service band. The four are CommScope, Federated Wireless, Google and Sony. The development was expected as a critical next step for the band (see 1912260040). The four, plus Amdocs, were cleared last year to start initial commercial deployment in the 3.5 GHz spectrum. “The FCC has made it a priority to free up mid-band spectrum for advanced wireless services like 5G” and this is “the latest step to achieve that priority,” said Chairman Ajit Pai. Priority access licensees and general authorized access (GAA) users will share the band, with the administrators managing use of the band. Its first commercial use is in the GAA tier, with the FCC auction of PALs to start June 25. The Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology issued the approvals Monday. “With more than 25 customers offering commercial services and another 50 in development, Federated Wireless is extremely pleased with the momentum the market has achieved since[initial launch] in September, and we are eager to continue driving the next wave of services including private 5G,” said Federated Wireless CEO Iyad Tarazi: “2020 will be an extremely active year for all of us who have worked so hard to bring the promise of CBRS to reality, and we are fully committed to working closely with all of the customer segments that stand to benefit from the new business and service models being developed and deployed today.” After years of work, "full commercial deployment of CBRS shared spectrum is a real thing, not a dream,” emailed Louis Peraertz, Wireless ISP Association vice president-policy: “If it works in this complex band, other forms of sharing -- such as in the C-Band, 5.9 GHz and 6 GHz bands -- can and should go forward. We cannot wait to see what it will do for the band and for other spectrum.” Full commercial deployment “is the final stage in the commercialization process that started in 2013 when the FCC began pursuing an innovative shared spectrum model in the 3.5 GHz band,” the CBRS Alliance said: “The success of this initiative is the result of unprecedented public-private partnerships between industry and government organizations.”