Spectrum Sharing: Let’s Walk Before Running

The Federal Communications Commission recently released proposed rules for the 3.5 GHz proceeding, a proceeding that has received a lot of attention as it is the first attempt to apply the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report that promotes the sharing of federal spectrum with non-federal users.

The Commission has identified this spectrum as an “innovation band” and we applaud them for their “outside-the-box” thinking on increasing spectrum efficiency. However, it is crucial that the Commission find the right balance between implementation of this new sharing model and incentives to invest in the technology necessary to make it work.

As this 3.5 GHz spectrum is spectrally higher than what mobile broadband optimally uses, the FCC has proposed using this band for “small cell” deployments. Small cells are low-powered, low-elevation micro cells that are typically installed in office complexes, campuses and residential areas to augment the large macro cell sites that are used for main coverage areas.

Small cells are typically used to increase network capacity in areas such as stadiums or metro stations where demand for network services is concentrated in a small area. Today, this is accomplished in many areas by using Wi-Fi networks where available. But a licensed spectrum band such as 3.5 GHz could offer an alternative and potentially even better user experience than Wi-Fi as small cells would be connected directly to a mobile operator’s macro network.