Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition (FWCC) and National Spect...

that fixed wireless service (FS) licenses at 18 GHz be allowed to undertake coordination and licensing at bandwidths of 2.5, 5, 30 and 50 MHz in addition to 10, 20, 40 and 80 MHz now allowed. “The sole purpose of the waiver is to eliminate the present need for FS users to coordinate and license more spectrum than they actually need,” request said: “Grant of the waiver will improve efficient use of the spectrum and will not adversely affect any user.” Groups said they wanted blanket waiver -- not rulemaking -- “because rapidly growing spectrum congestion has created an urgent need for relief.” FWCC and NSMA said if Commission decided to move ahead with rulemaking anyway, they wanted blanket request granted while rulemaking process was under way. “This alternative will provide the fixed service with the immediate relief it needs,” request said. Before FCC partitioned 18 GHz band between fixed wireless and fixed satellite service, Part 101 of FCC rules allowed fixed wireless bandwidths of 5, 6, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 220 MHz, request said. After reallocation, however, narrowest channels available only to fixed wireless are 10 MHz. Because some fixed wireless operators can operate well in channels as narrow as 2.5 MHz, “assigning a full 10 MHz to each is a waste of badly needed spectrum,” FWCC and NSMA said. They said FCC had agreed rechannelization could aid relocation of fixed wireless service operators and had planned proceeding on issue. “While the FWCC and NSMA welcome the Commission’s commitment to address the issue in the future, the passage of time may render it moot,” they said.