Spectrum

As we continue our important work directly related to COVID-19, the Federal Communications Commission will also continue our work confronting the longer-term challenges that have been highlighted by pandemic. In particular, at our upcoming meeting on April 23, we will be voting on major initiatives to expand wireless connectivity and further close the digital divide.

T-Mobile closed its takeover of Sprint after a nearly two-year battle with federal and state authorities. The merger, worth about $31.8 billion based on T-Mobile’s closing stock price March 31, marks the end for Sprint as a company and a brand. The once-thriving network operator spent most of the past decade losing customers after a string of engineering and marketing missteps gave the upper hand to rivals, T-Mobile chief among them. The combination turns the US’ third and fourth-largest wireless carriers into a far more substantial third place competitor to Verizon and AT&T.

The Federal Communications Commission has granted an emergency Special Temporary Authority request filed by A:shiwi College & Career Readiness Center to use unassigned 2.5 GHz spectrum to provide wireless broadband service over the reservation of the Pueblo of Zuni in New Mexico in light of increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The A:shiwi College and Career Readiness Center, formerly the University of New Mexico Gallup-Zuni Campus, was established by the Zuni Tribe in 2016.

The Federal Communications Commission granted temporary spectrum access to 33 wireless Internet service providers serving 330 counties in 29 states to help them serve rural communities facing an increase in broadband needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Special Temporary Authority (STA) allows these companies to use the lower 45 megahertz of spectrum in the 5.9 GHz band for 60 days.

The digital divide in the most isolated parts of the United States is reinforced by risky economic propositions and geographic barriers to connectivity, but a technology in its infancy — TV white space broadband — may help communities clear these hurdles. “The attractiveness of it was this was prime spectrum that was not being used, and it opens up a second Wi-Fi band with significant improvements in coverage, range and bandwidth,” said James Carlson, CEO of hardware manufacturer Carlson Wireless Technologies. 

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has granted requests from AT&T and Verizon for Special Temporary Authority to use additional spectrum to help meet Americans’ wireless broadband needs across the country during this national emergency. AT&T was granted authority for 60 days to operate in AWS-4 Band spectrum licensed to DISH. Both AT&T and Verizon were granted similar authority to use AWS-3 spectrum currently held in the FCC’s inventory. 

The Federal Communications Commission’s unprecedented proposal to giveaway 1200 MHz of unlicensed spectrum for millions of disparate devices to be laid over critical uses in the 6 GHz band should be reconsidered. It could be disastrous to introduce millions of divergent devices and users on top of critical infrastructure networks with different traffic patterns next to these organized channels. Moreover, it creates a dangerous precedent against the proven market-based auction for licensed spectrum in favor of advocacy get spectrum for free.

Highlighting some efforts to keep us all connected in what is a very scary time. We look at the Keep America Connected Pledge, other voluntary efforts by broadband providers, and actions by the Federal Communications Commission to waive program rules and increase the capacity of wireless carriers. But even with all this activity, we're seeing too many stories about too many people who are not connected during this pandemic. 

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr praised the FCC’s emergency efforts to bolster connectivity in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Carr said that “every reform is on the table” – particularly with regard to the agency’s Lifeline program – to ensure that American have adequate connectivity at this time.

With wireless use set to spike as more people work from home during the coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic, wireless spectrum holders are working together to most efficiently use the available spectrum. That has led carriers and spectrum holders to temporarily put competition aside and enter wireless spectrum lending arrangements. The goal is to expand voice, video and data capacity where it is needed as work, as education and as commerce shifts to the home from the office, school and store.