The FCC needs to stand strong as its decisions reallocating spectrum bands remain “under attack” from other federal agencies, Commissioner Brendan Carr said at an event Thursday, sponsored by CTA and WifiForward. The challenge isn’t new in the Joe Biden administration, he said. The Communications Act makes clear that the FCC should decide how spectrum is allocated, he said. “As spectrum becomes more important, as connectivity becomes more important” other agencies are “effectively trying to challenge that 1930s congressional decision that experts at the FCC should call the balls and strikes here,” he said. Carr sees artificial and virtual reality, and the need for spectrum to connect AR/VR goggles to the internet, as key drivers of continuing demand for Wi-Fi. “At the FCC, we’ve tried to do our part to make sure there is plenty of” unlicensed “spectrum out there,” he said: “We’ve got to continue to stay strong” and “push back against efforts to encroach on the FCC’s expertise.” Reps. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., and Bob Latta, R-Ohio, chairs of the Congressional Wi-Fi Caucus, said the FCC has done a good job making more spectrum available for Wi-Fi and that push needs to continue. “The value of unlicensed spectrum is absolutely undeniable,” McNerney said. Opening the 5.9 and 6 GHz bands for unlicensed was critical, he said. “We can’t rest there,” he said. We have to continue to push the commission to open up more portions of the spectrum for unlicensed use, and that will continue to push innovation,” he said. “What would have happened” without unlicensed spectrum during the COVID-19 pandemic, Latta asked. “Tele-education, telework, just people staying in touch with their loved ones, those are the things that we came to rely on,” he said. “Think where we were 10 years ago, and then five years ago” and where we are today, he said: “We have a great reliance on unlicensed technology. … It’s a necessity now.” The U.S. doesn’t want to follow other countries, “we want to be the leaders,” he said. “Unlicensed spectrum supports a wide range of innovations, from drones and [VR] headsets, to mobile payments and wearables,” said David Grossman, CTA vice president-regulatory affairs.

The FCC plans a 2.5 GHz auction starting in July, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told the Mobile World Congress Tuesday. The FCC has been under pressure to announce a start date, with its auction authority expiring Sept. 30 (see 2202110056). Rosenworcel also told the conference the FCC will issue a notice of inquiry on receiver performance and standards (see 2202180054) in April. Speakers at the Barcelona event said 6 GHz is emerging as a key band for 5G and Wi-Fi globally.

The FCC’s newly reconstituted Technology Advisory Council met for the first time Monday, with a new focus on 6G, directed by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. New TAC Chairman Dean Brenner, a former Qualcomm executive, said TAC’s work is more important than ever due to the reliance on broadband since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. The first meeting was initially expected in October (see 2107230039).

NCTA told the FCC a CableLabs analysis of a June Southern Co. report, which warned of the threat from low-power indoor unlicensed devices to electric utility operations in the 6 GHz band (see 2106240075), found numerous problems with the study. The report “(1) mistakenly equates interference-to-noise power to a measurement of harmful interference, (2) uses inaccurate Wi-Fi data, (3) appears designed to achieve a harmful interference result, (4) is based on methodologies that the Commission has already properly rejected in the 6 GHz Order, and (5) reports measurements that suggest significant flaws and inaccuracies in Southern’s testing methodology and execution,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. Southern didn’t comment.

A representative of Broadcom, Cisco and Microsoft spoke with a staffer from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on “indoor operation of standard-power access points in the 6 GHz band,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. The companies cited “the importance of indoor operations to the overall success of the band, that APs operating indoors can seek spectrum access from [automated frequency coordination] under the 6 GHz Order, and that when assigning channels AFCs should consider all relevant technical parameters,” the filing said.

Utilities Technology Council President Sheryl Osiene-Riggs and others from the group said, “Utilities need access to interference-free spectrum with sufficient capacity and coverage for reliable private internal communications to address a variety of new and increasing demands and challenges,” in a meeting with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. They said: “At the same time, they need access to funding to accelerate broadband deployment in unserved and underserved areas. They also need to be able to protect their communications networks and ensure the reliability and integrity of their infrastructure as well as the safety of their personnel and their operations, particularly during emergency response.” UTC repeated concerns about Wi-Fi interference in the 6 GHz band.

Federated Wireless answered questions from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on its bid to be an automated frequency coordination system operator in the 6 GHz band, but asked that many of the details be given confidential treatment, in a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-352. Federated said its proposed system is similar to one it operates in the citizens broadband radio service band. “The confidential information details the functioning of the Federated Wireless AFC in the 6 GHz Band, and Federated Wireless and other AFC operators will compete vigorously on the basis of the services provided through these products,” the company said.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has moved more slowly on wireless issues than expected since being confirmed to another term as a commissioner and designated last year as permanent chairwoman. On Wednesday, the FCC acted on the next steps on a 2.5 GHz auction. But other wireless items haven’t advanced as quickly as some hoped.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s December decision upholding the FCC’s 6 GHz order firms up the agency’s authority as “the expert agency” on spectrum, said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks during the Fierce Wireless virtual Wi-Fi summit Monday. Other speakers said use of 6 GHz is growing and will be critical to better Wi-Fi.

Private wireless revenue last year was “slightly weaker” than projected, leading to a downward outlook revision, Dell’Oro Group said Friday. “The markdown is more driven by the challenges of converting these initial trials to commercial deployments than a sign that demand is subsiding,” said Vice President Stefan Pongratz. “Indicators suggest private wireless activity is firming up.” Private wireless radio access network revenue, including macro and small cells, is still likely to double 2021-26, with LTE dominating the market and 5G gaining share, Dell’Oro said. “The successful launch of private 5G services by suppliers with strong enterprise channels could accelerate the private 5G market at a faster pace than expected,” the firm said: “5G awareness is improving but it will take some time for enterprises to fully understand the value of private LTE/5G.” Dell’Oro said in a second report that Wi-Fi 6E, which uses 6 GHz, is growing more slowly than expected. “Although manufacturers launched Wi-Fi 6E products in mid-2021, products are either not available, or they are in very limited supply,” Dell’Oro said: “Supply constraints have prompted manufacturers to focus on enabling the availability of popular models by re-designing these models with components that are more readily available.”