Regional carriers call AT&T's bluff on spectrum interference

A group of regional wireless carriers is calling AT&T's bluff when it comes to claimed interference issues in the lower spectrum bands of the 700 MHz frequency.

Cavalier Wireless, C Spire Wireless, Continuum 700, King Street Wireless, MetroPCS Communications, U.S. Cellular, and Vulcan Wireless filed a report to the Federal Communications Commission detailing results from a test conducted that shows there are no interference issues between devices operating in other parts of the 700 MHz spectrum frequency bands and the broadcast TV channel 51, which is right next to the lower A block portion of the 700 MHz frequency band. AT&T has created a separate band class for its 4G LTE devices that would not be interoperable with services deployed in other parts of the 700 MHz spectrum frequency band that was bought by these smaller carriers in the FCC's 2008 auction. AT&T has said it created a new band class due to potential interference issues with adjacent broadcast TV spectrum. But the regional wireless carriers claim that this study shows no such interference exists.