CBRS

The outlook for the 3.5 GHz band, and whether it will attract carrier interest, remain unclear more than three years after the FCC approved the initial rulemaking notice in December 2012 (see 1604280062). Some industry lawyers say carriers are unlikely to play an active role in the band mainly because of the limits placed on the priority access licenses (PALs) to be sold by the FCC as one part of the experiment in sharing. But other observers predict a more positive outcome given the number of carriers that have taken part in the Wireless Innovation Forum’s work on the band.

Google representatives supported CTIA’s request that the FCC reconsider out-of-band emissions limits for Citizens Band Radio Service devices, said a report on a meeting with Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology staff. Making sure LTE devices “are available for the 3.5 GHz band” and making the devices “more readily usable for CBRS will speed and lower the cost of CBRS deployments,” Google said. “Google’s propagation testing indicates the OOBE requirements can be relaxed as proposed by CTIA without material increased risk of harmful interference.” CTIA argued (see 1604140036) that addressing OOBE limits in the shared spectrum band, 20 MHz-wide channels and less-restrictive power levels are key to making it “economically viable” and will set the CBRS "on a better path towards meaningful investment, innovation, and deployment.” The filing was posted Thursday in docket 12-354.

Google supports CTIA’s request that the FCC reconsider out-of-band emissions (OOBE) limits for Citizens Band Radio Service devices in the 3.5 GHz band, Google representatives said in a series of meetings at the FCC. Google met with Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai, and aides to the other commissioners, said a filing in docket 12-354. ”Google representatives noted current interest being shown in CBRS by wireless carriers, equipment manufacturers, and chip suppliers, as well as the productive role the Wireless Innovation Forum (WinnForum) is playing in developing consensus among a large and diverse group of CBRS stakeholders,” Google said. There are now 55 organizations developing 3.5 GHz band standards within the WinnForum’s Spectrum Sharing Committee, Google said. Google’s propagation testing shows OOBE requirements “can be relaxed as proposed by CTIA without material increased risk of harmful interference,” the company said. WinnForum members including Google also lobbied the FCC recently on CBRS (see 1604050019).

The Wireless Innovation Forum told the FCC that the WIF Spectrum Sharing Committee is recommending changes to an FCC proposal for rules for the protected contours for grandfathered licensees in the 3.5 GHz band as the FCC launches the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). The task force’s “general consensus” is that the commission’s proposed two-pronged approach “is not sufficiently effective at protecting” wireless ISP operations and may block CBRS deployments. “This approach does not, for example, explicitly take into account protection of [wireless Internet service providers] base stations, which are typically mounted at high sites with good visibility to surrounding areas,” the forum said. “In this case, the FCC’s implicit assumption that the received signal strength at the base station from a CBRS device outside a boundary must be less than the signal strength at the boundary is not necessarily correct.” The comments were posted in docket 12-354.

The power and out-of-band emissions limits in FCC rules for the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band are a nonstarter, representatives of the Wireless Innovation Forum’s Spectrum Sharing Committee told officials of the Office of Engineering and Technology in a meeting, said a filing posted Monday in docket 12-354. A wide group of industry companies was represented, including Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Federated Wireless, Google, Motorola Solutions, Nokia Networks, Qualcomm and Verizon. Among the FCC officials at the meeting was OET Chief Julius Knapp. Achieving the power and emissions limits in the rules “will require so much power back off as to render the devices virtually unusable,” the filing said. “After additional review, the diverse set of organizations participating in this filing agree that the required measurement procedure is a major impediment to fulfilling the promise of Part 96.” The companies also said no other licensed mobile broadband service is subject to similar requirements and the rules “do not properly reflect the impact of aggregate interference.” It's likely other wideband systems, including Wi-Fi and WiMAX, will be unable to meet the emissions limits, the companies said. The commission approved creating the new Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the 3550-3700 MHz band at its April meeting, after years of debate (see 1504170055). CTIA earlier sought changes to the power and emissions limits in the rules (see 1510210020). The Satellite Industry Association opposed many of the changes sought by CTIA and others, saying they're an interference risk to fixed satellite service earth station use of the spectrum (see 1510200061).

The Office of Management and Budget OK'd revised information collection requirements in FCC rules for the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band, which the commission sees as being used for a forthcoming Citizens Broadband Radio Service (see 1504210061). OMB's Nov. 9 approval means the changes are effective Dec. 16, the commission said in Wednesday's Federal Register.

CTIA and the Satellite Industry Association clashed on protections for satellite operators in the 3.5 GHz band as the band is converted to a shared use regime. The commission approved an order creating the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the 3550-3700 MHz band at its April meeting, but parts are still being debated (see 1504170055). In the latest development, various commenters offered their take on petitions for reconsideration challenging aspects of the agency’s rules. Comments were posted Friday in docket 12-354.

Wireless industry and tech companies rallied behind CTIA’s push for revised FCC rules for the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band. The Satellite Industry Association opposed many of the changes sought by CTIA and others, saying they pose an interference risk to fixed satellite service earth station use of the spectrum (see 1510200061). Wireless industry commenters said the changes are necessary to make use of the band viable.

Relaxed legal out-of-band emissions (OOBE) rules, higher power levels and unlimited antenna heights open the door to more fixed satellite service (FSS) earth station interference and should be rejected, the Satellite Industry Association said in filing posted Tuesday in opposition to a CTIA petition for reconsideration of FCC rules on the 3.5 GHz shared spectrum band. Instead, stricter citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) limits are needed to avoid "a significant increase" of more than 11 km in the protection distance needed between CBRS devices and FSS earth stations, SIA said in a filing in docket 12-354. While both CTIA and Nokia have pushed for greater emissions limits, "neither provides an adequate rationale," with CTIA itself arguing for more stringent OOBE limits "when its own members' operations could be the victims of unwanted emissions," SIA said. The satellite group also rejected the idea of changing the metric for OOBE limit compliance from average power measurements to a peak detector, because that would "undermine the prophylactic objectives of the OOBE limits." Similarly, a higher maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and an eliminating of the antenna height limit for nonrural Category B citizens broadband radio service devices (CBSDs) will also "substantially increase the separation distances" needed to protect FSS from interference. Petitioners pushing for such higher EIRPs "fail to even acknowledge these trade offs," SIA said. But SIA said some areas of the FCC order should be reconsidered, such as the 60-second delay allowed for a CBSD to end transmission, lower its power or relocate to another channel, since even 60 seconds "could have significant adverse effects on FSS operations, including the potential to undermine safe satellite operations," SIA said. The FCC also should put in place a geolocation requirement to give reliable CBSD location information and "abandon the idea of relying on 'professional' installers to ensure the accuracy," the group said.

House Communications Subcommittee lawmakers pressed FCC officials on details of the broadcast TV incentive auction, focusing on whether stations will participate and whether the commission’s funding for the efforts will be enough. The officials said the agency is ready to tackle the issues with the resources at hand.