Spectrum

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking applications from persons interested in serving on the Department of Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC or committee) for two-year terms. The CSMAC provides advice to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator on spectrum policy matters. The CSMAC advises the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information on a broad range of issues regarding spectrum policy.

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr detailed his plan to extend US leadership in 5G at an event hosted by the American Enterprise Institute.  Highlights of Commissioner Carr’s plan:

Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T held events to update investors and analysts on spectrum auction results, and laid out plans for expanding their 5G networks. There is "no question" the carriers' new spectrum holdings will improve consumers' experience of using 5G, said Craig Moffett, founding partner and analyst at MoffettNathanson. But the carriers largely expect it will take several years to put the new spectrum to use. This spectrum auction helps the carriers, especially AT&T and Verizon, fill a key gap in their 5G networks.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau issued the majority of the Priority Access Licenses won in the 3.5 GHz auction (Auction 105). The Bureau granted 222 out of the 255 applications received for Priority Access Licenses. The 3.5 GHz auction had the highest number of winning bidders in a spectrum auction to date. These applications represent 17,450 Priority Access Licenses.

Cellphone carriers that spent years promoting their blueprints for new fifth-generation wireless networks devoted the past week to explaining how they plan to pay for them. AT&T and Verizon said they would spend billions of dollars more in the coming years on cellular-tower equipment, fiber-optic lines, and other infrastructure to use new wireless spectrum licenses they acquired through a federal government auction. T-Mobile said it would put the new licenses to use without increasing its capital budget.

As a Commissioner during the Trump administration, Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called out the disarray resulting from the lack of a national spectrum policy. “We are heading into our wireless future with something less than a fully coordinated effort,” she warned. The Biden administration has not repeated the failure to prepare with transition planning.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the subjects listed below on Wednesday, March 17, 2021:

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology certify Key Bridge Wireless LLC as a Spectrum Access System (SAS) Administrator in the 3.55-3.7 GHz band (3.5 GHz band).

Verizon is rolling out an enhancement to 4G that absolutely blows away its own "nationwide" 5G, and that shows good signs for the new C-band 5G coming in 2022. Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS), a set of airwaves close to the C-band, has quietly started rolling out nationwide. I got a tip on two locations near me, so I went to check it out. CBRS appeared on sites configured for all of Verizon's latest technologies: 4G, its "nationwide" Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) 5G, and its super-speedy ultra wideband (UWB) 5G.

Sens Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Broadband Reserve Fund Act. This legislation would require the net proceeds from the C-Band spectrum auction to be deposited into a reserve fund at the Department of Treasury to be used to expand broadband access and digital opportunity, modernize the nation’s communications infrastructure, and meet other connectivity priorities.