Encina Communications Chairman Michael Mulcay and others from the company discussed Encina’s proposal to use Part 101 frequency coordination procedures as an alternative to automated frequency coordination (AFC) in the 6 GHz band (see 2208150040), in a call with an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Monday in docket 10-153. “Updating Part 101 Rules to Harmonize with Part 15 Rules requires no changes to Part 15 Rules, nor would it disrupt or undermine in any way the ongoing work to develop” an AFC system, Encina said.

Industry and public safety groups and companies asked the FCC for more clarity on an Office of Engineering and Technology notice last year conditionally authorizing 13 automated frequency coordination providers to operate in the 6 GHz band (see 2211030066). “In particular, the Joint Filers seek clarification that the Public Notice does not override industry consensus standards, including propagation model parameters specified by the Wireless Innovation Forum in its standards document known as WINNF-TS-1014,” said a filing Friday in docket 18-295: “That document contains dozens of specifications regarding the operation of AFC systems, all of which were achieved via broad inter-industry consensus through lengthy, painstaking, holistic, expert, and detailed deliberations.” Seeking clarification were APCO, AT&T, Comsearch, the Edison Electric Institute, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance, the Fixed Wireless Communications Council, the Utilities Technology Council and Verizon.

Southern Co. criticized an NCTA filing from November arguing that the power spectral density limit for 6 GHz low-power indoor access points floated in the 6 GHz Further NPRM isn't a big risk for causing harmful interference to incumbent fixed service links (see 2211290068). “The arguments made by NCTA are in conflict with real-world measurements taken by multiple tests on the public record, all of which show results consistent with Southern’s real-world testing, measurements, and analyses previously provided to the Commission,” the utility said, posted Friday in docket 18-295.

Encina Communications Chairman Michael Mulcay and others from the company explained Encina’s proposal to use Part 101 frequency coordination procedures as an alternative to automated frequency coordination (AFC) in the 6 GHz band (see 2208150040), in a meeting with an aide to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington. “Updating Part 101 Rules to Harmonize with Part 15 Rules requires no changes to Part 15 Rules, nor would it disrupt or undermine in any way the ongoing work to develop an” AFC system, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. “This proposal is also clearly in the public interest as it immediately permits the safe deployment of outdoor Wi-Fi 6E … networks to bring the benefits of Wi-Fi 6E and beyond to the more than 290 million smartphone and fixed wireless access consumers nationwide in urban, suburban and rural areas, including underserved and unserved communities,” Encina said.

The Wireless Innovation Forum updated the FCC on work by its members on use of automated frequency coordination in the 6 GHz band. A WInnForum authorized test lab specification “has been balloted and approved by our members,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-352. The FCC last year conditionally authorized 13 AFC providers to operate in the band, subject to testing (see 2211030066). “The WInnForum is forming a Test Lab Assessment Task Group” and is “organizing a training webinar on the Test and Certification process,” the group said.

Expect 1,800 to 2,400 new low earth orbit satellites to come online this year, ABI Research predicted Wednesday. It said widespread satellite-to-handset adoption isn't imminent, though this year and next will have a role in priming consumer interest, and the economy will keep the smartphone market from bouncing back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level. ABI predicted outdoor use cases such as airfields and shipping ports will drive demand for private cellular networks, though indoor deployments will remain weaker. It said private 5G won't take off this year, as large-scale availability of Release 16-capable devices won't be available at scale until early 2024, and forecast that 4G LTE will remain the dominant cellular connectivity tech until at least 2027. This year should have widespread adoption of location-enriched mobility such as range optimization and intelligent speed assistance, ABI said. It said the industrial sector is well aware of cybersecurity threats, but cybersecurity spending will be moderate in the face of a moribund global economy. ABI said automated frequency control systems will allow lifting 6 GHz outdoor use limits starting this year, diminishing 5G's advantages over Wi-Fi in outdoor settings and giving Wi-Fi equipment vendors the confidence to incorporate standard power 6 GHz access points into their production road maps. But don't expect 6 GHz spectrum harmonization this year, it said.

July tests of interference by low-power indoor devices in the 6 GHz band to FirstEnergy’s licensed operations there raised potential concerns, the company and Edison Electric Institute told the FCC. They reported on a virtual meeting last week with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology to discuss the tests, in a filing Thursday in docket 18-295. The 6 GHz incumbents noted the “additive nature of interference from LPIs operating both within and outside of the microwave beamwidth.” Tests confirmed “a single LPI can cause harmful interference” and the “limited effectiveness of contention-based protocol to reduce signal transmission power.” FirstNet said it did its study in the summer during peak foliage “to observe the impact of unlicensed LPI 6E” devices “during the ‘best case’ time of the year for minimizing interference.”

Executives with Encina Communications supported the company’s proposal to use Part 101 frequency coordination procedures as an alternative to automated frequency coordination (AFC) in the 6 GHz band (see 2208150040), in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “In contrast to the lack of consensus and the timing uncertainty surrounding the development of an AFC system, there is unanimous agreement by fixed services operators that Rule 101.103(d) can successfully frequency coordinate outdoor standard power … networks, as the interference level requirement is the same as Rule 15.407(L)(2)(i). Rule 101.103(d), which was first adopted by the FCC in 1971, is generally viewed as the gold standard for coordination and is grounded in decades of practical experience,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 10-153.

AT&T countered arguments in favor of further liberalizing the rules for the unlicensed 6 GHz band (see 2212160034), in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. “Consider promptly and thoroughly the ever-mounting evidence in the record that already authorized, commercially available consumer 6 GHz [low-power indoor access points] pose a serious threat of harmful interference to primary fixed service incumbents -- some of which operate networks vital to public safety or the functioning of critical infrastructure,” AT&T said: “To date, four substantial field trials under real-world conditions have been undertaken, each documented in an extensive and comprehensive engineering report. Each of these trials has established that harmful interference is essentially inevitable.”

Wi-Fi Alliance President Kevin Robinson urged the FCC to wrap up work on several 6 GHz items, in meetings with the FCC commissioners, other than Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, plus a Rosenworcel aide and top staff at the Office of Engineering and Technology. “In each meeting we emphasized the transformative effect that the Commission’s decision to permit access to the … band for unlicensed devices has had on the Wi-Fi industry and the American public,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: “We urged that the Commission (i) act on the outstanding Further Notice in the 6 GHz proceeding by permitting the use of very low power devices and low power indoor devices with higher power; (ii) resolve the issue presented to the Commission on remand by the Court of Appeals upholding the Report and Order; and (iii) issue, as soon as possible, the further Public Notices” required to certify automated frequency coordination providers.