Upcoming event
The three-day event will examine the potential for collusive, exclusionary, and predatory conduct in multi-sided, technology-based platform industries. The sessions will also examine antitrust frameworks for evaluating acquisitions of nascent competitors or occurring in nascent markets, including in the technology and digital marketplace; and the approach to addressing antitrust issues regarding labor markets.
Multi-Sided Platforms (Oct. 15, 16, and 17):
FCC Proposes County-Wide CBRS Licenses
The Federal Communications Commission will vote later in Oct on rule changes for the upcoming auction of spectrum in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band. According to a draft order released Oct 2, the proposed CBRS auction rules call for licenses to be awarded by county for a period of 10 years with the option to renew. The FCC is proposing lengthening license terms in the CBRS (3.5 GHz) band, "modestly" increasing the size of those geographic licenses--the plan is to auction the licenses sometime in 2019-and allowing them to be renewed.
Remarks of Commissioner O'Rielly before the Americas Spectrum Management Conference
I have been asked to discuss the Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS). The timing of this event is indeed fortuitous, because the draft order on this exact issue will be considered at the Oct Federal Communications Commission meeting and its text is being posted Oct 2. I am fortunate that FCC Chairman Pai entrusted me with such a challenging and important project. Over the last many months, I employed sound regulatory principles to guide my review of the band. To put it mildly, there is a lot of interest in this spectrum, and there are many divergent and passionate opinions.
Commissioner O'Rielly CBRS R&O Fact Sheet: Fixing the Rules to Enable Mid-Band 5G
The Federal Communications Commission will consider an item at its next Open Meeting to revise its existing rules governing the Citizens Band Radio Services (CBRS), which will utilize spectrum between 3.55 to 3.70 GHz. In doing so, the focus will be on correcting policy mistakes made pertaining to the Priority Access Licenses (PALs) back when rules were adopted in April 2015 and May 2016.
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for October 2018 Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the October Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Oct 23, 2018:
Keeping Up A Fast Pace On Spectrum
The Federal Communications Commission's October agenda will address three issues critical to advancing the 5G FAST Plan—creating more opportunities for unlicensed innovation in the 6 GHz band, expanding spectrum opportunities for 5G in the 3.5 GHz band, and updating our business data services rules for smaller, rural carriers in order to promote fiber deployment.
This hearing allows the Committee, as part of its ongoing efforts, to assess the progress of broadband deployment in rural America and continue to explore ways in which closing the digital divide will benefit American jobs and the economy.
Witnesses:
Across industries and sectors, connectivity is becoming faster and more intelligent. 5G technology promises to unleash even greater computing and processing power. As a result, cities will become smarter and machines will speak with machines, which will enable new advances in healthcare, manufacturing and transportation.
Yet the race to 5G is global. And other countries are working feverishly to ensure their companies can compete on the world stage.
A detailed program for this conference can be found https://eu-ems.com/agenda.asp?event_id=4367&page_id=9565
Emerging wireless and IoT technologies are providing new and innovative solutions for consumers, businesses and for public safety. New technologies and next generation networks have the potential to dramatically improve access to emergency services for the public and to enhance the emergency response capabilities of first responders.