5G Fund OK'd Over Partial Dissents; TVWS Gets 5-0 Nod

The 5G Fund order adopts a $9 billion budget. The auction's Phase I would make available up to $8 billion, with $680 million set aside for bidders offering to serve tribal lands. Phase II would make at least $1 billion available, targeting adoption of precision agriculture technologies. But timing has been a problem, with Chairman Ajit Pai complaining the FCC can’t move forward on its new digital data collection program without congressional funding.

“We’re building this auction without grounding it in any real-world data,” Rosenworcel said. “We are still slow-rolling efforts to fix our maps,” she said: “We can’t afford to wait longer; we need to find some way to make at least some progress now. Because we need that data to help inform the choices we make about how this auction operates, what speeds it requires, and what buildout it compels.” The framework the FCC adopts “is sound, but the details would benefit from more data-gathering,” she said.

“Every American deserves the opportunity to participate in the 5G revolution, even if they don’t live in the wealthiest neighborhoods,” Starks said. “We otherwise risk devolving into two Americas: one in which those with much get even more, another that is stuck in the past and falling further behind every year,” he said. With stakes high, “it’s important that we get every last drop out of our universal service dollars,” he said.

Commissioner Brendan Carr said the order moves the FCC in the right direction. “It builds off of other successful programs, since providers can use existing support to build fixed networks that support 5G,” he said. A provider that gets funding under the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund “could use their previous investment to submit a lower bid in the 5G Fund auction,” he said. The FCC “seeks better data so that we can target support where it’s needed most, mindful of the large and growing investment that the private sector is making on its own,” Carr said.

The order doesn’t “provide the fastest possible path to the Phase I auction,” said Chairman Ajit Pai: “But this measured approach enjoyed broad support in the record and will ensure that we are targeting funding to those areas that need the support the most, allowing us to make the best use of every dollar.”

“Updating the maps with more reliable data is an essential first step," said Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry. The decision "is in line with congressional direction and has overwhelming support in the record,” he said. “A key predicate to bringing the transformative power of 5G to hard-to-reach rural communities is the extension of wired networks deeper into targeted rural areas where we must scale our communications infrastructure and lay lots of fiber,” said USTelecom President Jonathan Spalter.

White Spaces

The white spaces order saw some changes. It now seeks comment on additional changes beyond an agreement between NAB and Microsoft, including on the use of terrain models for assessing interference, as urged by the Wireless ISP Association (see 2010200046).

The order increases the maximum permissible power for fixed devices in “less congested” areas in the TV bands from 10 watts to 16 watts effective isotropic radiated power. It doubles to 500 meters the maximum permissible antenna height above average terrain for fixed devices in these areas “subject to a coordination procedure with TV broadcasters.” The document mostly eliminates a limit on antenna height above ground and increases the minimum required separation distances from protected services and entities in the TV bands (see 2010060060).

“While there may still be questions about how these [terrain] models would work in the white spaces context, they deserve further consideration because they reflect real-world conditions and are used for other bands,” Starks said.

The changes and other technical tweaks “will enable the provision of a wider variety of wireless services to Americans over a larger geographic area, while not harming incumbent broadcast service,” Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said. The FCC also changed the draft to clarify rules on the use of narrowband IoT devices. “While I will not be at the commission to push and resolve the remaining last few issues, I’m encouraged that my colleagues agreed to explore them,” said the outgoing member.

“A big reason we are here today is because stakeholders got together, compromised, and identified a path forward,” Carr said: “This item is a testament to their efforts, and I am hopeful that our action today will help accelerate fixed wireless builds in rural communities that find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide.”

The initial rules were approved in 2008, Rosenworcel noted. “Let’s not wait another dozen years before making our next meaningful decision on white spaces.”

The other terrain models “deserve further consideration because they reflect real-world conditions and are used for other bands such as the Citizens Broadband Radio Service and 6 GHz,” WISPA said.

“Thank you … for your work to advance #TVWhiteSpace tech and #5G broadband to connect every American,” tweeted Microsoft President Brad Smith. The order provides “greater flexibility for white spaces operations without undermining the fundamental principle that these operations must not cause interference to licensed services, such as radio and TV stations,” NAB said.