The 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band is unlikely to play a big role in Wi-Fi and instead will provide the unlicensed component of 5G, Martha Suarez, new president of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, said in an interview. Suarez recently joined DSA after serving as general director of the National Spectrum Agency in Colombia. DSA’s global summit is this week in Washington.
Telecom and other groups opposed AT&T proposal to operate using higher power limits in parts of the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band. They "express, in the strongest of terms, their policy, operational, and legal objections to AT&T’s proposed" Category C antenna, said Tuesday's letter in FCC docket 17-258. The change would let CBRS devices operate at a maximum effective isotropic radiated power of 62 dBm/10 MHz, 31 times maximum EIRP now, the letter said. “On the verge of Initial Commercial Deployments and General Authorized Access use of the band, AT&T’s ‘questions concerning whether the Commission would entertain’ such a proposal should be met with a resounding ‘NO.’” Altice USA, the American Petroleum Institute, Frontier, Motorola Solutions, Windstream and Wireless ISP Association protested the AT&T request. The company didn’t comment.
Amazon, or one of the big cable companies, may emerge as the elusive fourth wireless carrier, to satisfy DOJ concerns about T-Mobile's buying Sprint (see 1905300058), analysts said Friday. “We do not have an interest in acquiring divested spectrum from the Sprint/T-Mobile transaction,” a Comcast spokesperson said. “We don’t comment on rumors and speculation,” an Amazon spokesperson said. Analysts cited reports such players are scoping Boost, which the companies agreed to sell (see 1905200051) to get FCC clearance. Other divestitures could be forced by DOJ. Agreement is possible, New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin told us Friday. “It will be a complicated negotiation, but there should be a deal that works for everyone.” Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim “would like to approve the deal, but he has a memo from his staff highlighting competitive harms and he has 17 state [attorneys general] threatening to sue if he does approve the deal,” Chaplin said: “The easiest path forward for him would be finding concessions that address the harms and undercut a case by the state AGs. Establishing a credible fourth competitor would be the perfect solution.” Chaplin said cable will get in anyway. “They will buy spectrum,” he said: “They would also love a better [mobile virtual network operator] MVNO than they have now, one that gives them core network control.” While prospects Amazon might jump into the wireless business have caused market jitters, the threat is limited, said Wells Fargo’s Jennifer Fritzsche. “Spectrum is the life blood of a wireless network -- and while [Amazon] could buy some spectrum divestitures if required to get this done -- it is impossible for us to see how it will amass the necessary spectrum to mirror that of the wireless incumbents,” she told investors. “That the DOJ has forced T-Mobile to contemplate such a transaction suggests the DOJ has signaled that without such a deal, it will file a complaint,” New Street’s Blair Levin told investors. “How much T-Mobile is willing to give up to proceed," he asked. Negotiations are likely just getting started and there are some big questions, Levin said. “We don’t know whether Cable or Amazon are seriously interested or want to see what might be available now or, if the deal doesn’t go forward, from Sprint in the future. ... We don’t know if the Cable players are willing to agree to the terms of a joint venture necessary to make the new entrant a national player.” Barclays' Kannan Venkateshwar noted analysts there have made the case for “convergence between the application layer and the network layer … where we had argued that over the long term, there was a high likelihood of companies such as Amazon and Google getting into wireless.” Amazon and Google are testing in some bands, including the citizens broadband radio service band, Barclays said.
While still hoping to see up to 300 MHz of the C band freed up for 5G use, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly on Saturday said he's amenable to clearing 200 MHz now and a structure that sees more opened up in the future. He said at the FCBA annual retreat that his top priority is clearing the band as quickly as possible. Panels at the event in Hot Springs, Virginia, also covered topics ranging from cybersecurity to autonomous vehicles.
FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said at a Citizens Broadband Radio Service Alliance meeting Tuesday the 3.5 GHz band will likely be the first mid-band spectrum to come online for 5G, next year. “Left on the Commission’s plate to get CBRS fully operational is concluding the review and approval of the Spectrum Access Systems, or SAS, and Environmental Sensing Capability systems, commonly referred to as the ESC,” O’Rielly said. “I have been working with the leadership of the CBRS Alliance to help make sure this process stays on track. While some steps experienced unfortunate delays and this process has taken far longer than anyone would have liked, it appears to be nearing the end.” The FCC this week approved the first ESCs, he said. “I must admit that I never expected it to leapfrog ahead of the SAS testing and development process,” he said: “Unfortunately, the SAS testing is still in progress.” Monday, staff OK'd environmental sensing capabilities of CommScope, Federated Wireless and Google in the 3550-3650 MHz portion of the 3550-3700 MHz band. "These ESCs may operate in areas covered by registered and approved ESC sensors subject to ... compliance obligations," said the public notice.
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The CBRS Alliance and Small Cell Forum agreed to “cooperate closely” on the citizens broadband radio service band rollout, on a "variety of initiatives related to the wide-scale adoption of small cells, network densification, and the development, commercialization and adoption of OnGo-certified solutions,” they said Wednesday. Collaboration areas “include investigating multi-operator solutions in the 3.5 GHz band, defining indoor solution architectures for densification, and exploring the international opportunity for Spectrum Access System-coordinated shared spectrum.”
The FCC is continuing to prepare for the 24 GHz auction and future auctions, including pushing forward on the C band and other bands being looked at for 5G. The 28 GHz auction closed Thursday. Nevertheless, the agency remains constrained in how much staff can do as the longest shutdown in federal history continues. “Staff continues to work on future auctions,” a spokesperson emailed Thursday.
The Citizens Broadband Radio Service Alliance is adding members like the Wireless ISP Association, working with ATIS, and released a certification tool developed with Radisys, the CBRS alliance said Monday. “Now with more than 120 members, the Alliance is seeing a new set of organizations beginning to engage in the OnGo ecosystem,” it said. Cisco Wireless Chief Technology Officer Matthew MacPherson joined the alliance’s board, the group said.
The Global Mobile Suppliers Association says LTE-unlicensed and LTE-assisted access (LAA) are gaining momentum, consulting engineer Steven Crowley blogged. GMSA says 32 operators are investing in LAA across 21 countries, with six announcing launches. Another 11 operators announced investments in LTE-U networks. And 120 devices support LTE in unlicensed spectrum including the citizens broadband radio service band, Crowley noted. “LTE in unlicensed and shared spectrum remains at an ‘early stage’ worldwide with interest ‘high.’”