FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Wednesday the FCC will take up an order on the use of very-low-power 6 GHz devices anywhere without location awareness or automated frequency control, at the commissioners' meeting Oct. 19. As expected, the FCC isn’t addressing at this time increasing the power at which low-power indoor access points may operate. Both uses were teed up in 2020 Further NPRM.

Nick Weaver, CEO of eero, which builds home Wi-Fi systems, and Amazon representatives met with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on how eero “is leveraging the latest developments in wifi technology to improve customers’ home network experience while also keeping those customers’ networks safe and secure,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. Weaver also “expressed support for the pending 6 GHz proceeding that will allow for further innovative uses of unlicensed spectrum,” Amazon said. Wi-Fi advocates expect a vote in coming months on part of the changes proposed by the FCC in a 2020 Further NPRM on 6 GHz rules (see 2309180050).

Extreme Networks got support from some groups and other Wi-Fi advocates for its petition for a waiver of FCC rules for low-power indoor devices for 6 GHz access points (APs), to be installed exclusively in indoor-only sports venues. The company wants to protect the APs with a waterproof enclosure “to protect the devices from beverage spills and during venue washing,” said a July waiver request (see 2308010074). The Utilities Technology Council, the Edison Electric Institute, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, APCO and the Enterprise Wireless Alliance opposed the waiver (see 2309080045). “Extreme Networks has clearly demonstrated ‘good cause’ and that the public interest will be served by waiving what we believe is the least important of the multiple form factor requirements that govern the authorization of low-power, indoor-only access points,” Public Knowledge and the Open Technology Institute at New America said in a filing posted Monday in docket 23-282. “The waiver is necessary for sports fans to benefit from the full capacity, low latency and higher quality that next generation Wi-Fi 7 makes possible, as well as for lower costs, greater spectrum efficiency, and more competition in the market for indoor venue connectivity solutions. Extreme Networks’ proposal also eliminates the risk that granting the waiver would result in its devices being used outdoors,” the public interest groups said. The Commission was clear that the prohibition on weatherized indoor access point devices is a means to an end -- ensuring that devices remain indoors -- not an end itself,” the Wi-Fi Alliance said. “This limited waiver is necessary to avoid frustrating the enormous public interest benefits that access to next generation Wi-Fi 7 across the full 1,200 MHz of the band can bring to the fan experience at indoor arenas,” the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance said. “Without a waiver, venue operators would have to limit deployment of Indoor Access Points to areas where spills are unlikely, severely diminishing coverage when data demands are increasing,” NCTA said: “Extreme has shown that special circumstances exist that warrant a deviation from the general rule, as the Extreme Waiver Request clearly delineates the measures it will take to ensure that the Sports Venue Indoor Access Points will operate indoors without causing risk of harmful interference.” Cisco Systems has “partnerships” with numerous sports venue customers where it has also deployed its Wi-Fi networking equipment, the company said. “Permitting the certification and sale of 6 GHz-capable low-power indoor access points using a waterproof enclosure, subject to the conditions outlined in Extreme’s waiver request, will serve the public interest by expanding the availability of 6 GHz Wi-Fi connectivity and encouraging development of the 6 GHz ecosystem, while protecting against harmful interference to incumbent operations,” Cisco said.

An expected FCC order on the 2020 Further NPRM on the 6 GHz band likely won’t go as far as Wi-Fi advocates hoped (see 2308070060). Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is now expected to seek changes only permitting very-low-power (VLP) devices to operate anywhere without location awareness or automated frequency control, industry experts said. The order is expected to delay a decision on a second part of the FNPRM, on increasing the power at which low-power indoor (LPI) access points may operate.

The next iteration of Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 7, will enjoy increased throughput due to use of the 6 GHz band and 4K quadrature amplitude modulation, and should support wireless device speeds of up to 5 Gbps in optimal wireless conditions, CableLabs Principal Architect-Wireless R&D Lili Hervieu blogged Wednesday. A key feature of Wi-Fi 7 will be multilink operation -- simultaneous connections to different bands -- which will improve reliability, enhance band steering and load balancing, and reduce latency, she said. The finalization of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' 802.11bn standard, which will support Wi-Fi 7, isn’t expected before 2027 or 2028, she said.

Broadcom filed at the FCC a new analysis of the interference risk of very-low-power operations in the 6 GHz band to electronic newsgathering operations. The analysis focused on VLP interactions with truck-mounted ENG receivers. “This analysis confirms that the risk of harmful interference from a VLP device to such a receiver is insignificant even when using conservative assumptions,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is expected to seek a vote an order on revised rules for the 6 GHz band, focused on VLP operations, in coming months (see 2308070060). “Because VLP devices are itinerant, any such VLP device would be very likely to be transported away from that area as quickly as it entered, making even the worst-case impact we examine small,” Broadcom said: “ENG operators also have the capability to optimize their link conditions by, for example, reducing the distance between the transmitter and receiver, elevating the receiver above clutter, or adjusting transmit power levels.”

Tech company representatives filed a letter addressing concerns raised by FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff on studies from February on interference risk to electronic newsgathering in the 6 GHz band by very-low-power (VLP) applications (see 2302100031). “The Commission determined in the 6 GHz Order that low-power indoor (LPI) access points do not pose a significant risk of harmful interference to fixed service links,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295: “The record in this proceeding, most notably two separate robust Monte Carlo analyses, demonstrates that VLP devices similarly will not pose a significant risk of harmful interference to FS links.” Links between ENG transmitters and central receive sites “differ from FS links in one key respect that make them even less vulnerable to harmful interference: These links can be adjusted to account for local conditions,” the filing said. The companies signing the letter were Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta Platforms.

Groups representing 6 GHz incumbents opposed a recent waiver request by Extreme Networks of FCC rules for low-power indoor devices for 6 GHz access points (APs), to be installed exclusively in indoor-only sports venues. The company wants to protect the APs with a waterproof enclosure “to protect the devices from beverage spills and during venue washing,” said a July 21 waiver request (see 2308010074). “Extreme has reasonable alternatives,” the incumbents said in a filing posted Friday in docket 23-282: “Whatever the perceived benefits of 6 GHz Wi-Fi, it is not the only band available for the use case described by Extreme. Multiple vendors, including Extreme, sell a variety of equipment providing Wi-Fi capability in various bands with no prohibition against being weatherized. Denial of the Waiver Request will not deprive fans of Internet access in sports venues.” The filing was signed by the Utilities Technology Council, the Edison Electric Institute, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, APCO and the Enterprise Wireless Alliance.

The FCC Wireless Bureau said Wednesday the FCC’s universal licensing system will now accept applications for temporary fixed stations in parts of the 6 GHz band. The eventual launch was discussed in the FCC’s 2020 order opening the band for unlicensed use and comes as automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems start testing as they seek final approval (see 2308250061). “Certain licensees in the 6 GHz band must register their temporary fixed stations in ULS before commencing operations to enable” AFC systems “to account for these operations when providing channel information to 6 GHz unlicensed standard power-devices,” the bureau said in docket 18-295.

The Inter-American Telecommunications Commission (CITEL) meeting last week endorsed the U.S. position for the upper 6 GHz band, approving “no change” to allow international mobile telecommunications (IMT) in the band at the upcoming World Radio Communication conference, industry officials said. But a few nations sided with China's position of China, which the U.S. opposes, to approve a future agenda item on the topic at the WRC in 2027.