Wi-Fi Alliance representatives spoke with the staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology and an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on a request for a waiver by the alliance that would allow an automated frequency coordination, once authorized by the commission, “to take building entry loss into account for a specific type of standard-power device that, by design, will be restricted to operate only indoors.” The alliance said it’s focused on composite devices “authorized to operate both in standard power and low-power indoor” modes in the 6 GHz band: “We noted that the waiver request is precisely the type of relief contemplated by OET in the Public Notice conditionally approving AFC system requests,” said a filing, posted Monday in docket 18-295.

NAB raised questions about Apple’s analysis of interference risks in the 6 GHz band for very-low- power (VLP) applications, which the company has been presenting to the FCC (see 2302100031). “The analysis was not intended to, and does not, address the potential for interference from unlicensed VLP operations to mobile licensed operations in the 6 GHz band,” NAB said in a Thursday filing in docket 18-295: “Whatever the merits or issues with Apple’s analysis with respect to fixed operations, the Commission cannot rely on or draw any conclusions from the analysis with respect to the potential for harmful interference to broadcasters’ mobile electronic newsgathering operations in the band.” Newsworthy events “frequently transpire in close proximity to crowds, whether indoors or outdoors” and “ENG operations could easily receive harmful interference from nearby VLP devices -- particularly when there is little or no physical separation between individuals who may be using VLP devices and ENG operations," NAB said.

Bluetooth Special Interest Group representatives met with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff about possible use of the 6 GHz band. Group members “outlined Bluetooth’s history of using the 2.4 GHz band, growing congestion in the band, and the potential for its members to also use the 6 GHz band,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295: “Bluetooth is currently working on a new development project to define the operation of Bluetooth Low Energy in higher bands.”

Representatives of the Wireless Innovation Forum warned of recent irregularities in the FCC’s universal licensing system, which they said raises concerns for automated frequency coordination in the 6 GHz band, in a meeting with FCC staff. The FCC requires the AFC system to rely on the ULS for fixed microwave link data “when calculating and establishing the exclusion zones to protect those microwave links from harmful interference,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. The ULS must be available for AFC operations and “when availability issues arise … AFC system operators must be immediately informed by the FCC that there is an issue and provided complete information on the nature of the issue,” the WInnForum said. During the Aug. 1-Oct. 22 period, daily license files weren’t posted in ULS on Aug. 1-4, Sept. 10 and 22, and Oct. 6-10, the group said. Weekly license files were delayed the week of Oct. 9 and daily application files were never posted Sept. 10, 22 and 23 and Oct. 6-10, the group said. The FCC didn't comment.

More than 60 countries have moved to open the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use, and allowing standard-powered devices controlled by automated frequency coordination is an “integral part” of the FCC’s 2020 6 GHz order, Alex Roytblat, Wi-Fi Alliance vice president-worldwide regulatory affairs, said during a webinar Thursday. In November, the FCC conditionally authorized 13 AFC providers to operate in the band (see 2211030066). The webinar, by the alliance, the Wireless Innovation Forum and the 6 GHz Multi-Stakeholder Group, examined technical details of AFC system lab testing. Use of AFC offers “enhanced performance, which is achievable with increased power limits,” Roytblat said. “That is why our industry, collectively, stepped up to facilitate enablement of the 6 GHz standard-power operation.” The Wi-Fi Alliance and WInnForum “invested significant resources, thousands of man-hours, to develop a suite of specifications” for AFC, he said: “These specifications are already enabling development of a vibrant 6 GHz AFC ecosystem and I’m confident that the information that we share will assist regulators and other interested parties in validating AFC capabilities and functionalities.” Industry has spent “a good two years of work on just the testing alone,” said Mark Gibson, CommScope senior director-business development and spectrum policy. Wi-Fi in 6 GHz is “transformative,” with billions of devices likely to be deployed in the next few years, “many of which will be under control of the AFC,” he said: “We’re really working hard to get this right out of the box.”

Representatives of NCTA, CableLabs and cable companies urged the FCC to adopt rules proposed in a 2020 Further NPRM (see 2004230059) allowing low-power indoor use of the 6 GHz band at levels higher than now allowed. They met with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology. “The 6 GHz FNPRM’s proposed LPI power levels will not increase the risk of harmful interference to Fixed Service (FS) incumbent operators in the 6 GHz band,” the cable interests said in a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295: “CableLabs has repeatedly confirmed this with detailed technical analyses that use signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), rather than interference-to-noise power ratio (I/N), to determine the actual risk of impairment to an FS link’s signal. SINR is a more accurate indicator of interference risk than I/N because it is based on how interference (I) and noise (N) could affect a known signal (S).”

After meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2302070040), Apple representatives met with aides to the other commissioners to urge the FCC to act on rules allowing very-low power (VLP) mobile applications in the 6 GHz band, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. Apple discussed a recent Monte Carlo analysis of interference risks to incumbent links in the band in Houston. “Only probabilistic interference analysis -- not static, worst-case analysis -- is appropriate for VLP,” Apple said.

Apple representatives urged the FCC to act on rules allowing very-low power (VLP) mobile applications in the 6 GHz band, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Apple said it recently did a Monte Carlo analysis of interference risks to incumbent links in the band in Houston. “The clear conclusion” was “VLP worst-case scenarios are extremely rare and do not pose a significant risk to microwave links.” While the FCC’s 2020 6 GHz order “opened the band for fixed service, Apple views the highly-sought mobility of VLP as essential to meeting consumer demand,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. Apple noted other nations already permit VLP use “because of the recognition that there is no real-world risk to incumbent microwave links.”

Use of Wi-Fi has grown to a huge extent, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, experts said Monday during the virtual Fierce Wireless Wi-Fi Summit. But speakers disagreed how quickly adoption of the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi, through Wi-Fi 6E, will happen as other bands become more crowded. Commissioners approved an order in April 2020 (see 2004230059) allocating 1,200 MHz in the band for sharing with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use, and other countries followed the U.S. lead.

CommScope representatives explained the company’s approach to indoor geolocation of standard power access points for automated frequency control in the 6 GHz band, in a call with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff. The company also discussed AFC testing and certification, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. “Today’s Smartphone-based GPS solutions are highly accurate for location including leveraging other location reference points to define location for a Home Wi-Fi Access Point,” CommScope said.