Broadband Access Coalition Could Face Steep Uphill Climb at the FCC
A proposal by the Broadband Access Coalition for the 3.7 GHz band likely faces a tough time getting FCC approval, especially against a rival plan by an Intel-led group, even though it got lots of support from wireless ISPs and others (see 1708080050), officials said. The Intel-led plan for the 3.7-4.3 GHz band has buy-in from some big players including Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Ericsson, Nokia, the Wi-Fi Alliance, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, based on a July 19 filing in docket 17-183. The main proponents of the BAC proposal are Mimosa Networks, the Wireless ISP Association and New America’s Open Technology Institute.
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Commissioner Mike O’Rielly has made clear he supports the Intel plan (see 1707100049). Since both are likely to be addressed as part of the FCC’s mid-band inquiry, a big question is whether the agency will attempt to borrow elements from both proposals in final rules. The Intel plan proposes licensing the 3.7 GHz band, while opening 6 GHz spectrum for unlicensed use.
A former spectrum official cautioned that the FCC is very early in the process of writing rules for the band and final rules could take a year or longer, after an expected NPRM this fall. The FCC released a notice of inquiry last week. "It is still early, and the commission started with an NOI, so nothing is set in stone, but there does seem to be considerable momentum for licensed mobile use of 3.7 GHz,” said Doug Brake, senior telecom policy analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.
Mark Radabaugh, WISPA FCC Committee chair, said his group hasn't gotten much feedback from the FCC on the proposal. “I would hope that given the support we got in the record for this they would move ahead without waiting for the NOI process,” Radabaugh said. Clearing the 3.7 GHz band for licensed use would take much longer than the shared use proposed by the BAC, he said.
WISPs will use the 6 GHz band if they can, Radabaugh said. “We will take whatever we can get,” he said. “Whatever comes out of this will get used.” But he noted the 6 GHz spectrum has more users than the 3.7 GHz band and the propagation characteristics are worse. “Once you’re up in that 6 GHz range, you’re not going to get significant foliage penetration, which is obviously a big issue in large parts of the U.S.,” he said.
The Intel-led coalition has a natural advantage over the BAC, said Roger Entner, analyst at Recon Analytics. "Considering the significant potential investments by the large carriers backed up with ecosphere support from equipment and device manufacturers alike, it is no surprise that the Intel-led proposal is the front runner,” he said. This "FCC looks much more at who will deploy more quickly and significantly,” he said. The FCC declined to comment.
The Competitive Carriers Association supports efforts to make more mid-band spectrum available, said President Steve Berry. “The commission should follow its long-standing policy of protecting incumbent users and therefore CCA also supports the diverse coalition of equipment manufacturers, wireless providers, and unlicensed users for both licensed and unlicensed use in these bands," he said.