Telecom sector supply chain security and spectrum legislation drew enthusiastic support from House Communications Subcommittee members and witnesses during a Friday hearing, as expected (see 1909260056). They gave no clear guidance during on how they want to proceed on the seven measures the panel examined. Lawmakers focused much of their attention on the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (HR-4459) and the Studying How to Harness Airwave Resources Efficiently Act (HR-4462), though they also showed interest in other measures.
The FCC apparently missed a deadline to notify NTIA 18 months before the start of the 3.5 GHz auction that an auction would be scheduled. Commissioners approved a public notice on bidding procedures for the citizens broadband radio service auction, to start June 25, at their meeting Thursday. But the FCC denied the band is even subject to Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (CSEA) requirements. Earlier this year, the Commerce Department and FCC engaged in a battle over 24 GHz band. (see 1908090070).
FCC members approved 5-0 a public notice Thursday seeking comment on an auction of priority access licenses (PALs), the licensed part of the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band. As expected, Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks raised concerns (see 1909230056) but voted to approve after each got changes to the notice. The auction is to start June 25.
Before the FCC starts issuing funds from its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), it needs to have its improved broadband mapping up and running, said Consolidated Communications CEO Bob Udell Monday in a taping for C-SPAN's The Communicators. Udell, who's also USTelecom chairman, said the shapefiles approach the agency adopted in August (see 1908010007) "is critical" to the next allocation of federal funding. He said Consolidated is intent on expanding its fiber network, and cell towers for 5G will drive some of that. The U.S. is at an "inflection point," akin to when the Rural Electrification Act was adopted, that could advance deployment through public and private investment, he said. Consolidated is among the telecom signatories to an agreement with state attorneys general on commitments to fight illegal robocalls (see 1908220060), and Udell said principles in that agreement are being used to guide its suppliers on criteria to implement secure handling of asserted information using tokens and secure telephone identity revisited caller authentication technology. He said trials of that tech are underway and rollout should be done in 2020. With Consolidated largely serving rural markets, he said 5G is less a competitive threat than an opportunity to provide services to wireless operators. Mobile service isn't a strategy for Consolidated in the foreseeable future like it is for Comcast, Charter and Altice, he said, but the company's considering bidding in the citizens broadband radio service spectrum auction, with that spectrum potentially being useful for private LTE networks to serve, for example, an office park lacking good cell coverage. He said Consolidated doesn't use Huawei equipment. He said it "thwart[s] attacks daily. It's a common factor when you operate communications infrastructure." Udell advocated a national privacy rules framework instead of a piecemeal approach state by state.
A proposed public notice on the 3.5 GHz auction could see questions at the commissioners’ meeting Thursday. Several parties have been at the FCC asking for changes and Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks are still reviewing their votes and have questions about how the auction will work in practice, industry and FCC officials said. The most controversial aspect is that the notice would allow bidding in some cases on relatively large cellular market area (CMA) licenses.
With 3.5 GHz band commercial use rolling out nationwide, focus on clearing the 3.45-3.55 GHz band and studying possibly clearing at least some of 3.1-3.45 GHz or a sharing model like what's being used for the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS), FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said Wednesday. At an event cheering that initial commercial deployment, O'Rielly hoped DOD follows through on the idea it floated of increasing the allowable power levels for the band. Pentagon spectrum chief Fred Moorefield said the department would be amenable to exploring that once it's "comfortable with the rollout. ... More spectrum sharing is the new normal."
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Competitive Carriers Association members were asked by the federal government to participate in discussions on supply chain security, carrier officials said Tuesday at CCA’s annual meeting. At the opening breakfast, big issues were 5G and what it will mean to competitive carriers. Huawei was at CCA and had a technical presentation on cybersecurity.
The FCC will start the long-awaited 3.5 GHz auction June 25, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Wednesday in a blog on the agenda for the Sept. 25 commissioners’ meeting. The FCC will also take up USF funding for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (see 1909040028), a proposal to update intercarrier compensation rules and a media modernization Further NPRM, among other items.
Huawei had “limited involvement” in the Wireless Innovation Forum Spectrum Sharing Committee's work developing the spectrum access system (SAS) and environmental sensing capability (ESC) technologies for sharing the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told seven senators in letters posted Thursday. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and five others wrote Pai and then-acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan in June about their concerns (see 1906060015). The company is under scrutiny from lawmakers worried it could affect security of 5G technology (see 1905230066). Blackburn and others eye legislation to prevent President Donald Trump's administration from lifting Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security restrictions on Huawei (see 1907220053). The company's involvement in the WinnForum work has effectively ceased because “its membership was suspended on May 21,” Pai wrote. “I have also been informed that Huawei has not had access to any materials regarding military operations, including those of the Navy, beyond what has been made publicly available.” The WinnForum aims “to establish and maintain a secure technological platform that allows users of CBRS spectrum to identify with precision and share as appropriate access to this scarce public resource,” Pai said. “Doing so effectively and efficiently will speed deployment of services, particularly those involving 5G.”
After years of work, the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band appears ready to open for business, as early as next month, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly told us. O’Rielly predicted an FCC decision soon on the C band, and said the agency may not need to review CBS' buy of Viacom. O’Rielly insisted relations have improved among commissioners.