The Competitive Carriers Association and CTIA jointly proposed a compromise on the size of priority access licenses in the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band. They "reached an agreement that the Commission should license PALs using Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the top 306 Cellular Market Areas (CMAs) and use county-based geographic area licenses in the remaining 428 CMAs,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 17-258. “This compromise proposal paves the way for swift action while balancing the needs of the wide range of stakeholders that are expected to participate in the 3.5 GHz auction,” the groups said. “It promotes investment in the band and provides an opportunity for parties to acquire PAL spectrum in areas that best fit their business models and investment plans.” Wireless ISP Association President Claude Aiken objected, saying the CBRS proposal would “effectively put up a ‘large bidders only’ sign at the door and turn away innovators and small operators serving rural Americans.” The FCC should beef up competition for 3.5 GHz spectrum in the largest metropolitan statistical areas by reducing license areas in the top 10 percent of MSA markets to counties, Charter Communications said in a docket 17-258 filing Monday about the wireless proposal. It said it's investing in 3.5 GHz trials itself in markets in California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan and North Carolina.
The FCC should set a USF budget of about $11 billion to impose fiscal discipline, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said Thursday at the American Enterprise Institute. He said at least 200 or 300 MHz of spectrum should be made commercially available within the 3.7-4.2 GHz band, and wants an associated NPRM this summer to examine reallocating 6 GHz band spectrum for unlicensed services. He also expects the regulator to begin a rulemaking this summer on creating more flexible broadcast children's TV rules, believes the agency will soon address its process for transactions affected by "Team Telecom" reviews (see 1804190059), and wants more process reforms in general. His speech tracked written remarks and was followed by Q&A (video here). A commission spokesman declined comment.
The Rural Wireless Association hailed a letter by three Republican senators saying the FCC should consider countywide tracts for priority access licenses in rural areas in the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band instead of using partial economic areas (PEAs). The letter urges licensing by metropolitan statistical area in urban communities. The letter was signed by Steve Daines of Montana, John Barrasso of Wyoming and Dan Sullivan of Alaska. They said the FCC should “reject the expansion of geographic licensing areas such as large scale" PEAs. The proposal makes sense, said RWA President Mike Kilgore, CEO of Sagebrush Cellular. “The use of PEAs or other large license sizes in the CBRS context would stifle broadband deployment in rural states.”
Beyond agreeing Communications Act Title II net neutrality rules are bad, speakers at a Federalist Society event clashed over of paid prioritization and whether it should be permissible even without Title II oversight. Also Tuesday, a House subcommittee held a paid prioritization hearing (see 1804170037) while states also considered net neutrality bills (see 1804170057).
CommScope and Ericsson said tests they ran show their equipment designed for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service (CBRS) band is interoperable. The two said this was one of the first successful interoperability tests using the Wireless Innovation Forum’s release 1.2 specifications. Tests showed CommScope’s spectrum access system and Ericsson’s radio infrastructure with CBRS spectrum support can work together. “Ericsson offers a comprehensive portfolio of CBRS network solutions that will help operators of all sizes deploy in this spectrum quickly and successfully,” said Paul Challoner, Ericsson vice president-network product solutions. “Additional milestones need to be reached for CBRS to become a reality, but we are pleased to complete interoperability testing with CommScope as part of the developmental process.”
Verizon is working with leading vendors and technology companies to test 4G over the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service spectrum at its lab in Irving, Texas, the carrier said Thursday. After initial trials last year, Corning, Ericsson, Federated Wireless, Google, Nokia and Qualcomm are working with Verizon on “end-to-end system testing to further develop the use of this new spectrum,” Verizon said. The companies are testing spectrum access system algorithms from Google and Federated Wireless to make sure they are “consistently providing the best channel match from the SAS database,” said a news release. Also under examination are “data rates, modulations and the customer experience using CBRS spectrum,” the level of interoperability between infrastructure providers “to ensure seamless handoffs between CBRS spectrum and licensed spectrum for customers,” and the performance and data rates of 4G LTE over the spectrum,” the carrier said. The company predicted the band will be available for use next year.
Electric utilities urged the FCC to keep census-tract sized geographic licenses for priority access licenses (PALs) in the 3.5 GHz shared band. The Edison Electric Institute reported on a meeting between members and Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, overseeing the FCC’s look at changing the rules for the citizens broadband radio service band. If the FCC approves larger PALs, utilities and other critical industry companies won’t be able to compete with wireless carriers for the licenses, EEI said in docket 17-258. “The industry is investing approximately $100 billion per year on building new infrastructure,” EEI said. “Much of this investment is targeted at deployment of the Smart Grid/Energy loT. Not only will this help improve grid safety, reliability and security, it will also facilitate the offering of new services related to Smart Communities, microgrids, electric vehicles and a host of other new consumer services. The current spectrum that electric utilities have is not sufficient to meet the growing capacity requirements.” General Electric recently stressed keeping the current license sizes (see 1802140055).
CTIA urged the FCC to act “quickly” to modify the priority access license rules for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band. The most important changes are auctioning PALs for a 10-year term with an expectation of renewal and in sizes larger than census tracts, CTIA said in meetings with aides to Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile officials were also there. The changes would give licensees “greater certainty and encourage investment,” CTIA said in docket 17-258. “Making these targeted reforms to the CBRS framework will help unlock the benefits that 5G will bring to the U.S. economy -- benefits that were not foreseen when this proceeding was originally undertaken -- by providing faster speeds and additional bandwidth needed to support the Internet of Things.”
House Communications Subcommittee members spent much of a Tuesday NTIA oversight hearing focused on the agency's spectrum management role, as expected (see 1803050053). Lawmakers also peppered Administrator David Redl with other questions about his views on the 2016 Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, broadband mapping and public safety communications.
Meeting with FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly, Charter CEO Tom Rutledge said the company sees the possibility of offering "wireline-like" broadband connectivity and speeds using fixed wireless technologies in the 3.5 GHz band, according to a docket 17-258 filing posted Friday. Rutledge also said mobile uses of the citizens broadband radio service band "could combine well" with Wi-Fi and let a new entrant like cable deploy 3.5 GHz spectrum quickly. To facilitate new entrants into the mobility space, Rutledge said, the FCC should make sure 3.5 GHz license sizes aren't so big that only national carriers can bid, and adopt a compromise between the use of census tracts and partial economic areas. Counties could fit that bill, he said. Rutledge also backed opening the 5.9 GHz spectrum for unlicensed use quickly since that would help meet growing demands for faster Wi-Fi while also helping spur development of next-generation technologies like Gigabit Wi-Fi.