When trying to gauge how fully utilized nonfederal spectrum is, no commercial-use band should be off limits, multiple trade groups said Friday in FCC docket 23-232 reply comments. Numerous comments argued that the fact that a band is licensed for exclusive use doesn't mean it's automatically being used to maximum efficiency. Commissioners unanimously approved the spectrum usage notice of inquiry at their August meeting (see 2308030075).
The citizens broadband radio service spectrum-sharing model is easily adoptable by other nations, but there needs to be more work proselytizing about it internationally, spectrum experts said Tuesday at a CBRS seminar by New America's Open Technology Institute about spectrum sharing in private wireless networks. CBRS is a route for regulators and agencies like NTIA to work with overseas counterparts on pushing sharing models, said Scott Harris, NTIA senior spectrum adviser. He said the U.S. needs to boost such international engagement and the private sector needs to encourage regulators overseas to have those conversations.
An Information Technology and Innovation Foundation report, released Monday, calls on the federal policymakers to develop policies that consider tradeoffs of licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrum, and make allocations for the right reasons. “Licensed spectrum is good for providing the certainty needed to sustain wireless applications that require large, sustained investments,” but revenue from license auctions should be seen as “a side effect, not a goal in itself,” the report said. Spectrum auctions can generate lots of revenue, but “it is the market mechanism (including tradability on secondary markets) and the type of rights embodied by an exclusive license that make it a productive allocation,” it said. Unlicensed spectrum, “is a good way to prevent usage rights from becoming too fragmented,” but claims of congestion shouldn’t justify making more available, ITIF said: “One commonly cited claim is that unlicensed spectrum’s uses are important and valuable, and therefore more bandwidth should be freed up to ensure more reliable access to it. The problem with this argument is that licensed spectrum exists precisely for those who can’t operate under the uncertainties associated with unlicensed spectrum.” Spectrum sharing has become increasingly necessary as spectrum becomes more congested, ITIF said. Dynamic sharing “could even become the first-best allocation if technological advances enable a generalized use-or-share framework” and “there can be little objection, from a policy perspective, to allowing additional uses of a licensed band that does not cause harmful interference to the licensee,” the report said. But there are also limitations, ITIF said, noting power levels permitted in the citizens broadband radio service band are “327 times lower than those in the exclusively licensed band just above it.”
CTIA and Google officials clashed Tuesday on the future of spectrum sharing and the citizens broadband radio service band, speaking during a Broadband Breakfast webinar on spectrum sharing. Other speakers said CBRS has been a success.
Getting Congress to restore the FCC’s spectrum auction authority as quickly as possible is a top priority of the Competitive Carriers Association, CCA President Tim Donovan said Wednesday at the start of the group’s annual conference in Atlanta. Donovan also urged launching a 5G Fund, the topic of a September Further NPRM (see 2309210035).
Commenters disagreed sharply on what the FCC should do in response to an August notice of inquiry on understanding nonfederal spectrum use. Some observers have questioned how much will be gained by the inquiry, especially because it doesn’t ask about federal use (see 2308020054). Comments were posted Wednesday in docket 23-232.
Spectrum sharing, such as the citizens broadband radio service model, makes entry much cheaper for new users than exclusive licensing and doesn't disrupt or displace national defense spectrum use, NCTA said Thursday. Citing a Brattle Group analysis earlier this month, NCTA said single-use licensing, particularly for the 3.1-3.45 GHz band, "would cost the government billions of dollars while not delivering enough taxable revenue to offset the cost." Brattle said the economic value of sharing the 3.1-3.45 GHz band would be close to $19 billion, while exclusive use result in a loss of $41 billion once DOD estimates of clearing costs are factored in.
5G is growing in Europe, but the region is falling behind parts of the Americas and Asia, a GSMA official said during a Mobile World Live webinar Monday. Europe is “lagging in terms of customers willing to upgrade to 5G,” said Radhika Gupta, GSMA Intelligence head-data acquisition.
The FCC certified Red Technologies to join the ranks of spectrum access system administrators in the citizens broadband radio service band for a five-year period. The Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology also approved Red to support spectrum manager leasing for priority access licenses and to use Key Bridge’s environmental sensing capability to protect federal operations in the 3.55-3.65 GHz portion of the band. The approval was made in consultation with NTIA and DOD, the Friday notice said.
NTIA told the FCC it has a “temporary arrangement” with the Navy that will allow use of the citizens broadband radio service in the 3550-3650 MHz band before environmental sensing capability sensors are locally deployed. “Under this arrangement, the Navy will retain continuous access to three 10-megahertz channels in the 3550-3650 MHz band in and around Hawaii, leaving seven-10 megahertz channels available for CBRS use,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 15-319. The Navy “will retain priority rights to the remainder of the 3550-3650 MHz band on an ‘as needed’ basis,” NTIA said.