O'Rielly Says Revised Rules for Wi-Fi in 3.5 GHz Band Likely Final Early Next Year

O’Rielly said he has met with many groups and companies about proposed changes to rules for priority access licenses (PALs), the licensed part of the FCC’s three-tiered structure for the band. “While a few said make no changes, the majority agreed that the PALs could use some serious improvements, with one provider seeking to license the entire band,” he said. “Most everyone seems to have expressed their thoughts through one means or another, and the petitions, letters and ex partes reflecting these views have been filed and are currently out for comment.” The agency later posted the text.

Expect relatively quick action, with an NPRM likely in the fall, O’Rielly said. He doesn’t want to disrupt work that has occurred. “I am not predisposed to disrupt the three-tier structure,” he said. “I just want all three tiers of this so-called experiment to work.” But O’Rielly also said indications are lots of work remains, especially with the Department of Defense, on environmental sensing capability to avoid interference issues.

O’Rielly is hopeful the 3.7 GHz band can be used for licensed mobile services, while protecting or accommodating incumbents (see 1707240061). “This seems exceptionally doable since the C-band is mostly used to transmit video programming, such as AP news programming and broadcast and cable network feeds from one point to another, and terrestrial point-to-point use is minimal,” he said. The commissioner also is interested in a proposal to use the 6 GHz band for unlicensed. “This is prime spectrum for the unlicensed community because it is adjacent to 5 GHz, which is one of the workhorses of unlicensed,” he said.

Government needs to decide about Wi-Fi in the 5.9 GHz band, using spectrum long set aside for dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology, O’Rielly said (see 1707190041). “It is finally time to bring this proceeding to an end and make the determination of whether sharing is possible without causing harmful interference to DSRC.”

The FCC has run tests on nine prototype devices designed to use the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi and vacate it rather than interfere with DSRC being deployed by automakers, O’Rielly said. The FCC is analyzing the results, he said. “It is my understanding that the devices performed as claimed in our lab tests, but stay tuned for further reports and next steps,” he said.

O’Rielly also noted the importance of rules on siting of new wireless infrastructure. Industry wants rules under which the FCC could deem approval granted if a local or state government fails to act by a shot clock deadline. Observers questioned whether the FCC will go that far because of concerns from O’Rielly (see 1706020053). O’Rielly said he has raised only queries. “I wanted to see what the record had,” he said. “I don’t want to suggest that I was closing the door.”

Stockdale initially filled in for O’Rielly, testifying at a House Communications Subcommittee FCC oversight hearing (see 1707250059) as the wireless event got underway. Stockdale declined to say when the FCC likely will schedule the first auction for high-frequency spectrum, which carriers see a vital for 5G. The bureau is developing the auction software for two reverse auctions -- the new Mobility Fund and the Connect America Fund, he said. “A hundred percent of our resources are going into that.” But the bureau also is working on a tentative list of subsequent auctions “based on when we think the spectrum can be made available,” he said.