Spectrum

The city of McAllen (TX) is tapping unlicensed Citizen Band Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum to provide backhaul for a citywide Wi-Fi hotspot deployment aimed at enabling students in the city to gain internet connectivity to support distance learning during COVID-19. A large percentage of students are low income and do not have high-speed broadband at home. Many of the costs of constructing the network were covered through a CARES Act grant.

US officials are exploring concepts for a new 5G wireless network that would let Silicon Valley giants and other businesses tap valuable Pentagon airwaves, setting up a potential clash over how to deploy the next-generation technology. The Department of Defense issued a request for information that could open the door for investors to bid on contracts to build a domestic cellular network for both the military and for commercial operators.

Since my first day in this job, I’ve said that closing the digital divide was my top priority. And as this audience knows all too well, nowhere is that divide more pronounced than on Tribal lands. One new policy I’m particularly excited about is giving Tribes priority access to spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band.

Recently, the Federal Communications Commission’s first-ever Rural Tribal Priority Window (TPW) came to a close. This special spectrum application window allowed for rural tribal nations to apply for valuable Educational Broadband Service (EBS) frequencies over their lands that had never been licensed. The agency received applications for spectrum on 266 separate tribal lands; 418 applications and amendments were filed in all. The decision to auction unassigned EBS was made in a July 2019 FCC rulemaking regarding EBS. But is auctioning the remaining EBS spectrum the right decision?

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the Sept Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 30, 2020:

The Federal Communications Commission’s Sept agenda looks like a well-balanced fantasy team; we’re rolling out a diverse lineup featuring at least one item from each of the FCC’s seven bureaus.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai shared with his colleagues a draft proposal which would take decisive steps toward making the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for commercial use throughout the contiguous US. This item will be on the agenda of the FCC’s Sept 30 Open Meeting and, if adopted, would position this 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum for commercial 5G use. 

On Aug 18 and 19,  2020, several Members of Congress wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman AJit Pai requesting the FCC immediately extend the 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window deadline by no less than 180 says "as Tribal nations continue to respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis." On July 31, the FCC published an order granting an extremely limited 30-day extension of the application deadline, "which is 150 days fewer than prior requests from members of Congress and the U.S.

The Federal Communications Commission’s first-ever spectrum priority filing window for rural Tribes closed Sept 2, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. EDT. This 2.5 GHz Rural Tribal Priority Window presented a unique opportunity for eligible Tribal entities to obtain overlay licenses for prime mid-band spectrum covering rural Tribal lands to help address their connectivity needs and close the digital divide in Indian country. The window opened on Feb 3, 2020, and the FCC received more than 400 applications from Tribal entities throughout the country. 

The Federal Communications Commission released a Public Notice detailing the results of and next steps related to the recently concluded auction of 70 megahertz of Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the 3550-3650 MHz band (Auction 105). This auction made available the greatest number of spectrum licenses ever in a single FCC auction. The Public Notice details auction results—including the names of winning bidders—and announces deadlines for payments and the filing of long-form applications, as well as other post-auction procedures needed for the prompt issuance of licenses.