6 GHz Recon Petitions Get Mixed Reactions in Comments to FCC
Tech companies told the FCC it should reject reconsideration petitions from CTIA, Verizon and the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition seeking changes to 6 GHz rules, approved 5-0 in April (see 2004230059). Other comments divided on what the FCC should do.…
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Oppositions were posted Thursday in docket 18-295. “None presents any argument that would justify altering the carefully reasoned decisions in the Commission’s order,” said Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm and Ruckus Networks: “Most of the petitions merely repeat arguments already raised in the proceeding that the Commission explicitly rejected.” New America’s Open Technology Institute said similar. “The conclusions the Commission reached in its 6 GHz Report and Order were both well-reasoned and based on an extensive record,” the group said. The petitions “seek to delay or disrupt unlicensed access to this critical spectrum and all the innovation it has the potential to unleash,” said NCTA. “The sharp increase in fixed bandwidth demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates the importance of spectrum to better enable distance learning and teleworking and the importance of interference-free wireless backhaul links,” said the Wireless ISP Association. “Bare disagreement with the Commission’s conclusions -- without demonstrating any flaws in the Commission’s rationale for reaching those conclusions -- is insufficient grounds for granting reconsideration,” the Wi-Fi Alliance said. Southern Co. supported FWCC’s complaints. “The Commission relied upon hypothetical simulations, rather than actual field testing, to reach a determination that unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band would not cause harmful interference to primary, licensed incumbent operations,” the utility said: “Preliminary bench tests and field tests using the parameters established in the Report & Order have already raised concerns about potential harmful interference to licensed microwave systems.” The Utilities Technology Council backed the FWCC. “Interference must be prevented before it occurs, not after the fact because it will be far too late to undo the damage that could result," UTC said. Nokia supported higher power levels urged by Verizon.