Groups representing incumbent licensees in the 6 GHz band, led by electric utilities, asked the FCC to seek comment on any revised rules for the band, “consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act,” before issuing an order as expected later this year (see 2308070060). “The Commission may not adopt rules which were not proposed” in the 2020 Further NPRM “or otherwise considered in this proceeding,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295: “Actual notice of any new rules must come from the Commission and not from monitoring comments in the record. Although the Commission may adopt rules that are the logical outgrowth of those that were proposed, it must provide fair and sufficient notice, including about the material components of such a rule.” The opportunity for comment is “particularly vital where, as here, the matter involves complex technical issues and a modification of the proposed rule results in a substantial change affecting the technical issues under consideration,” the groups said. 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. AT&T also weighed in, raising concerns about very-low-power operations in the band, a focus of the FNPRM. Advocates “continue to assert as gospel various technical theories that are subject to considerable debate on the record, to urge the Commission to rely on their self-interested, curated summaries of simulations that remain unfiled and undocumented, and to extrapolate insignificant results to broad assertions of interference protection,” AT&T said: “In the face of substantial real-world testing demonstrating the potential for interference, the Commission should not rely on unfiled, untested, and undocumented assertions for decisions that could impact critical radio communications infrastructure.”

Representatives of the Open Technology Institute at New America and Public Knowledge spoke with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, urging the agency to complete work on issues raised in a 2020 Further NPRM on the 6 GHz band (see 2004230059). “We urged the Commission to finalize the two key issues that remain pending in the 6 GHz FNPRM in a robust way that avoids the risk of creating a new ‘Wi-Fi digital divide,’” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-295: “Both the authorization of Very Low Power (VLP) devices and higher power for indoor-only use (LPI) are particularly crucial for digital equity and inclusion, for continued U.S. leadership in next generation Wi-Fi, and for virtually all consumers, businesses and community anchor institutions.” The groups led a recent letter to Rosenworcel raising those concerns (see 2308030061). Southern Co. representatives, meanwhile, raised concerns in a call with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington. “To the extent the Commission may be moving forward to expand unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band to include VLP operations, it must first put the details of its proposals out for public comment to receive necessary input and information from stakeholders and to comport with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,” they said.

Public Knowledge supports FCC moves last week launching a process for testing the automated frequency coordination systems that will manage access to 6 GHz band spectrum by standard-power unlicensed devices (see 2308250061) and hopes for continuing progress, emailed Kathleen Burke, PK policy counsel. “The pending [6 GHz] order before the FCC has taken longer than expected,” she said: “We would rather the Commission take its time and get things right than rush ahead with compromises that would limit the opportunities this band has to offer.” PK hopes the commission will move forward on its proposed rules on low-power indoor and very-low-power operations “without adding cumbersome mitigation measures that would unnecessarily increase the cost of next-generation WiFi and VLP devices, potentially creating a WiFi digital divide,” Burke said.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology launched a process for testing the automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems that will manage access to 6 GHz band spectrum by standard-power unlicensed devices. The public notice came later than expected, with some experts saying last year they thought testing could be completed early this year (see 2211040055). Canada regulators approved Qualcomm last week as the first 6 GHz AFC operator there (see 2308230060).

The Utilities Technology Council asked the FCC to refrain from doing more to liberalize rules for the 6 GHz band, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC is reportedly moving closer to approving proposals in a 2020 Further NPRM (see 2308070060). “Numerous real-world studies submitted on the record in the proceeding have concluded that commercially available low power indoor devices authorized by the Commission and operating in accordance with the rules will cause harmful interference to licensed microwave systems that utilities, as well as public safety and other critical infrastructure entities use for mission critical communications,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: “Given the imminent threat of interference posed by these unlicensed operations, UTC and other incumbent stakeholder organizations have formally requested that the Commission develop new rules and issue a temporary stay.”

John Branscome, Meta director-U.S. public policy, told FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about the importance of very-low power operations to the future of the 6 GHz band. Branscome “noted the importance of adopting a VLP power level that supports effective use of the band and that supports U.S. advocacy internationally,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. Rosenworcel is expected to propose an order on revised rules for the 6 GHz band for one of the commissioners' meetings before the World Radiocommunication Conference in November (see 2308070060).

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada approved Qualcomm as that nation’s first 6 GHz automated frequency coordination system operator, taking that step ahead of the U.S. The FCC last year provisionally approved 13 companies to be AFC operators, but all are still awaiting final approval (see 2211030066). Qualcomm applied to be an AFC operator in Canada in December and was approved Monday. Applications by Comsearch, Federated Wireless and Wi-Fi Alliance Services are under review by the Canadian regulator. Qualcomm was one of the companies provisionally approved by the FCC. The FCC didn't comment Wednesday.

Tech company representatives spoke with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and staff at the Office of Engineering and Technology on technical issues with allowing very-low power (VLP) portable operations in the 6 GHz band, as proposed in a 2020 Further NPRM (see 2004230059). “We discussed that the record contains two separate large-scale Monte Carlo analyses that demonstrate that the risk of 1 dBm/MHz VLP is insignificant and that the European Union and the United Kingdom have similarly concluded that this power level protects incumbent Fixed Service operations,” said a filing Wednesday in docket 18-295. Companies represented on the calls were Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta.

The FCC should consider a central clearinghouse, similar to the one used in the 800 MHz transition, to address problems that arise as use of the 6 GHz band becomes more prominent, Enterprise Wireless Alliance representatives told an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. EWA also “urged the FCC to adopt cost recovery mechanisms for incumbents that need to baseline their operations and take other steps to mitigate against interference from unlicensed devices,” said a filing Tuesday in docket 18-295. “We expressed our concern that the FCC not adopt further changes to the technical rules in this band without also addressing these issues,” EWA said.

Apple representatives urged FCC adoption of rules allowing very-low power (VLP) portable operations in the 6 GHz band, one of the proposals in a 2020 Further NPRM (see 2004230059), in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The mobility that will come with VLP is critical to the future of the 6 GHz band and that countries around the world have already approved mobile VLP operations in the band,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295: “These countries have established a power level of 1 dBm/MHz, determining that this power level protects incumbents.” Apple asked the FCC to approve operations “at a power level as close as possible to that approved by other international regulatory bodies.” Rosenworcel is expected to release an item in the next few months in response to the FNPRM (see 2308070060).