Sharing

Power companies, first responders and railroads are intensifying criticism of the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to allow Wi-Fi traffic on the 6 GHz band of airwaves they currently use.

Trade group TechNet, which counts AT&T and Verizon among members, is sounding the alarm over language in the Senate defense bill, S. 1790, ordering the Defense Department to create a test-bed program for “innovative technologies and techniques to facilitate” spectrum sharing between 5G service providers and incumbent airwaves occupants. Wireless heavyweights view this language as a Pentagon power grab over 5G and are lobbying to strip it from the bill before the House and Senate settle on a consensus version.

Microsoft, Google and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) are urging the Federal Communications Commission to allow co-channel spectrum sharing in the C-band. The proposal would allow fixed wireless operators to use the same spectrum band as incumbent users, who are comprised largely of satellite operators that use the spectrum for their earth stations. The FCC is currently pondering how it might best make a portion of the C-band, comprised of spectrum between 3700 and 4200 MHz, available for wireless services.

As the Senate geared up to pass its defense policy bill, the office of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unsuccessfully pushed to add language that would require that a provision mandating Pentagon-led test beds to examine sharing 5G airwaves come with a requirement that the government “solicit and consider the input of commercial wireless service providers, equipment manufacturers, and firms developing and operating spectrum sharing technologies” as part of planning. 

Given its past success and future potential, what challenges do Wi-Fi and its advocates face?

The Federal Communications Commission proposed to reallocate spectrum in the 1675-1680 MHz band for shared use between incumbent federal users and new, non-federal flexible-use wireless operations. The 1675-1680 MHz band currently is used for weather forecasting services. But for several years spanning two Administrations, the President’s budget proposals have called for this band to be auctioned for flexible use, subject to sharing arrangements with federal weather satellites. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted takes the FCC’s first step toward accomplishing that task.

House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) confirmed that anxiety over Chinese telecom giants’ wireless advances could creep into House lawmakers’ must-pass defense policy legislation. “There might be a couple things on 5G that we include,” said Chairman Smith.

Another Federal Communications Commission meeting is in the books with no final decisions on the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Services (CBRS) band. When asked about the timing of the 3.5 GHz item, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly deferred to the chairman, who determines those things. Separately during Sept 26's press briefing, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel answered the same reporter’s question with a decidedly different tone, but one that reiterated her previous level of frustration at the lack of movement on the issue.

I'm going to be the first Commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission to talk about 6G wireless service. Getting from here to there won’t be simple. In fact, I think it will require Washington to reassess some policies it holds dear and considers tried and true. I want to talk about three things we should revisit for the spectrum policy of the future— valuation, auction, and distribution.

As the Federal Communications Commission prepares to vote July 12 on opening up the C-Band for wireless broadband, House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Cole (R-LA) is calling for care and handling of noncommercial broadcasting. Chairman Cole has written FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to advise caution as the FCC ponders remaking the band to allow wireless use, either by dividing up the band or allowing for sharing.