AT&T, EchoStar agree on potential framework for sharing 28 GHz band

AT&T and EchoStar executives presented their potential framework for sharing the 28 GHz band and the 37.0-40.0 band to the Federal Communications Commission, saying they believe it achieves three primary goals. The framework protects existing fixed satellite services (FSS) licensees and provides them a co-primary status with new upper microwave flexible use (UMFU) licensees; establishes protection zones in the urban cores of key metropolitan areas to prevent potential interference to UMFU systems from new FSS installations; and establishes a set of coordination guidelines and parameters that allows FSS and UMFU licensees to fairly share the spectrum outside the protection zones.

The framework the companies presented comes after AT&T and EchoStar representatives said during an FCC workshop in March that they thought solutions could be found for sharing spectrum in the upper millimeter wave bands. Joan Marsh, vice president for federal regulatory at AT&T, also described it as a "fairly easy lift," particularly compared to the kind of complicated coordination AT&T has done in other bands like WCS. Indeed, before that workshop even started, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler advised both mobile and satellite stakeholders to work out the spectrum sharing conundrum in the millimeter wave spectrum.