Carriers Remain Concerned About H-Block Sale
AT&T and T-Mobile both told the FCC the record is clear that the FCC should require additional interference testing before the H block can be licensed and offered in an auction, in reply comments. The FCC approved an NPRM “setting the stage for an auction of the H Block in 2013” in an electronic vote before its December meeting (http://xrl.us/boffzj). Replies were due Wednesday, when the FCC was closed due to weather, and most comments were posted by the commission Friday. Carriers said in the initial comment round that Lower H block operations at 1915-1920 MHz could potentially interfere with PCS handsets operating at 1850-1915 MHz (CD Feb 8 p5).
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"The record in this proceeding shows unanimity with respect to the need for more spectrum,” T-Mobile said (http://bit.ly/13JQTHc). “However, while many parties recognize that permitting mobile operations in the H Block to meet this need could result in harmful interference to PCS handsets, there is no agreement with respect to the interference protections needed for PCS operations.” T-Mobile said, “The Commission should proceed with its efforts to permit AWS in the H Block, but it must develop a more complete record on the interference potential before final rules are adopted."
"Opening comments largely reinforced AT&T’s call for the Commission to carefully analyze new test data to determine whether the H Block may be auctioned and licensed without harmful interference to PCS,” AT&T said (http://bit.ly/YIbV46). “Many commenters joined AT&T in pointing out the substantial evidence in the existing record of a significant risk of harmful interference to PCS devices posed by H Block mobile operations.” U.S. Cellular made similar points about interference in its reply comments (http://bit.ly/WaBjQn).
Sprint supported further testing, but said Dish Networks stands alone in its dire warnings that the H-block cannot be safely opened for commercial use. “Most commenters agree that the H Block downlink spectrum (1995-2000 MHz) poses no risk of harmful interference, with only one industry commenter −- DISH -− suggesting that H Block downlink operations pose any risk of harmful interference to adjacent licensees,” the carrier said (http://bit.ly/10i1gNG). “That claim is nothing more than an inappropriate collateral attack on the Commission’s recent AWS-4 Order and, even if taken at face value, does not in any way preclude the Commission from auctioning the downlink under the Spectrum Act."
Dish Network urged the FCC to conduct further technical study of the potential for interference to the PCS bands and to reject Sprint’s proposals for higher H block transmission power. If the commission moves forward with an auction, “it should auction the H block as a paired 10 MHz block and adopt the technical rules proposed by Dish,” it said in its reply comments (http://bit.ly/Zn5eFU). Dish claimed that Sprint’s proposed power limits exceed the FCC’s proposed levels and aren’t necessary to enable mobile broadband use of the H block, which is adjacent to the AWS-4 spectrum for which the DBS company gained authority to provide terrestrial service last year (CD Dec 13 p8). If applied to frequencies above 2005 MHz, “Sprint’s proposed -30 dBm/MHz level will cause significant interference to AWS-4 operations,” it said. Sprint hasn’t established “why such dramatically elevated levels are necessary to promote full broadband use of the H Block,” it said.