FCC Hears Support From CTIA on Upper C-Band NPRM, Questions From Others
CTIA representatives supported an NPRM on an upper C-band auction, which was proposed for the Nov. 20 FCC meeting (see 2510290047), in discussions with aides to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty. Other groups have raised concerns.
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“Consistent with its calls in the earlier phase of this proceeding, CTIA supported the FCC’s goal ‘of repurposing the maximum amount of spectrum’ possible,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-59. Like the initial C-band auction, the spectrum “holds great promise, and CTIA urged the FCC to take full advantage of this opportunity to enable as much investment as possible in next-generation wireless services.”
The North American Spectrum Alliance, which represents broadcasters, satellite operators, wireless microphone companies and others, asked the FCC to add questions reflecting their concerns. Among the questions were whether “compensation should be granted for investments made in Upper C-band services in reliance on FCC assurances that the Upper C-band would be kept available for broadcasting following the auction of the Lower C-band.”
Satellite operators have also weighed in. “Any Upper C-band clearing should minimize disruption to important customer services like content distribution and government communications,” SES said. LTN Global said representatives met with an aide to Carr to discuss transport stream over IP as a “proven, reliable, and low-cost alternative distribution method to C-band satellite transmission” and proposed edits to the draft NPRM