NTIA Asks FCC to Examine Bidirectional Sharing of Spectrum
NTIA lent its support to bidirectional sharing, in which federal agencies, the Department of Defense in particular, would have access to commercial spectrum in areas of the country where carriers are not deploying in a particular band. Bidirectional sharing is the flip side of carriers sharing spectrum already in use by federal agencies. The letter, to the FCC, follows filings by carriers last week raising concerns about bidirectional sharing in the AWS-3 band, as the FCC develops auction rules.
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"NTIA agrees that expanding opportunities for federal access to this spectrum, including bands not specifically allocated for federal use ... may allow federal agencies greater flexibility to meet tactical, training, and other requirements,” NTIA said (http://bit.ly/1oVgVzl). “The AWS-3 NPRM noted that the 2155-2180 MHz band is allocated on a primary basis to non-federal fixed and mobile services and sought comment on specific locations where Federal use would be appropriate (i.e., on Federal lands or properties that are generally unserved by commercial wireless networks) and whether any amendments to the FCC’s rules would be required to facilitate that use.”
NTIA asked the FCC to “defer action on the specific text of any new regulations until requirements for a more flexible approach, beyond tactical or training applications in remote areas, can be developed in consultation with military and industry stakeholders in a way that does not hinder the implementation of new wireless broadband services.” NTIA said this approach “would be consistent with the President’s encouragement to the FCC to identify spectrum allocated for non-federal uses that can be made available to agencies, particularly where necessary to accommodate those seeking to relocate systems out of bands (like the 1755-1780 MHz band) into other non-federal bands (like the 2025-2110 MHz band).”
Oceus Networks has a bidirectional sharing proposal before the FCC as part of rules for the AWS-3 auction. “Oceus believes that even broader sharing opportunities will have to be addressed in the future in non-Federal bands for wireless technologies that DoD and other agencies will rely on,” the company said last week in a filing at the FCC (http://bit.ly/OOnAhZ). “It is interesting that at this early stage, several wireless carriers are opposing even a point of entry for such sharing discussions to begin. The auction rules should be structured to at least allow the implementation details of such sharing arrangements to be addressed in the AWS-3 bands on a going forward basis."
Verizon made clear its opposition to bidirectional sharing in the band last week in a filing at the FCC. “The FCC should promote sharing in bands explicitly identified for shared use, such as the broadcast auxiliary spectrum (BAS) band, 1780-1850 MHz, and the 3.5 GHz band, and not require sharing in bands licensed for exclusive, flexible use,” Verizon said (http://bit.ly/1m2xc3J).
Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld also urged sharing of the spectrum with DOD in particular, in a series of meetings at the FCC. “This sharing could significantly reduce the expense associated with clearing the band by allowing geographically isolated military bases to use ‘commercial-off-the-shelf” technology,” Feld said in an ex parte filing (http://bit.ly/1h2BlUt). “Oceus Networks has demonstrated that such sharing is technologically feasible and would in no way undermine the ability of licensees to provide service. Verizon, AT&T and CTIA have objected to this proposal on the general grounds that ‘licensees don’t like sharing.’ This view is at least consistent, if not terribly productive or forward looking.”