Dish wants to conduct fixed wireless tests in 12 GHz band

Dish Wireless wants to conduct tests using the 12 GHz band to evaluate coexistence in the band – it’s just waiting for the FCC to say yea or nay. They have a working 12 GHz radio that they want to use as part of the demonstration and they’re now waiting for the FCC to act on the request, according to Jeff Blum, EVP of External and Legislative Affairs at Dish. Dish is leading the effort at the FCC to get the rules changed so that the 12 GHz band can be used for 5G; under current, decades-old rules, it’s not allowed. Dish was joined in a webinar with representatives from RS Access, Public Knowledge, Incompas and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, where they made the case for why the 12 GHz band is ideal for 5G.  The 12.2-12.7 GHz band – not to be confused with the 12.7-13.25 GHz band that is on the FCC’s agenda for its October 27 meeting – is the subject of an FCC proceeding – one that SpaceX/Starlink argue should be shut down because they don’t want anyone messing with Starlink users that, they say, rely on the band. Yet Blum says, “We want to share this band. We don’t want to fight with Starlink or OneWeb or DirecTV.” Blum added that Dish thinks sharing is possible in the band.