The 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference was a mixed success for the U.S., FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said, viewing WRC-19 as falling short. Other WRC watchers echoed O’Rielly’s concerns and said questions about ITU process aren’t going away. The conference ended last month after weeks of negotiations (see 1911220014).
IRobot CEO Colin Angle sought a compromise on sharing the 6 GHz band with unlicensed devices, in meetings with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. It's expected to be a big FCC focus in coming months (see 1912130061). “A workable remedy would be to split the band and provide a safe haven for utilities and others, including [ultra-wideband] to operate on 500 MHz of spectrum, leaving 700 MHz to Wi-Fi,” Angle said.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise met Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Julius Knapp on rules and effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) for radio local area network devices sharing the 6 GHz band. The company discussed “the possibility of further reducing the risk of harmful interference to [fixed service] licensees through an antenna elevation mask for 6 GHz low-power indoor RLAN devices that would impose special restrictions on the maximum EIRP of an RLAN device in the horizontal direction (i.e., within a certain angular distance above and below zero degrees elevation),” HPE filed, posted Friday in docket 18-295. “Virtually all enterprise RLAN devices already direct most of their energy downwards, with maximum gain generally at or below -30 degrees elevation,” the company said: “However, devices employing an elevation mask in the horizontal plane would further reduce the already small probability that an RLAN device could be designed to radiate more energy than necessary toward the horizon.”
The Jan. 30 FCC meeting is shaping up to be busy, including likely action on the C band and possibly 6 GHz, based on early indications. The agency has seven weeks to get ready, versus less than three weeks between the November and December meetings. Key staff are being asked to avoid taking time off headed into the meeting because Chairman Ajit Pai anticipates a heavy agenda. This period is typical and gives staff time to celebrate the holidays.
The FCC approved 5-0 an NPRM that proposes to reallocate the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi and cellular vehicle to everything, while potentially preserving a sliver for dedicated short-range communications. All commissioners said DSRC has never lived up to its promise. Chairman Ajit Pai said support for the change has been overwhelming.
Commissioners approved an NPRM 5-0 on clearing 3.1-3.55 GHz, seen by some as a sleeper item with big implications. The item sparked a debate among members on whether the FCC is doing enough on mid-band spectrum. Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., sat through 90 minutes of the meeting, signaling his ongoing concerns about setting rules for an upcoming auction of the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band.
The Wi-Fi Alliance said the FCC “should move quickly” on rules allowing unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band. The alliance and others “have demonstrated that there is both an urgent need for spectrum to support Wi-Fi and that low power indoor or very low power devices do not pose a risk of harmful interference while standard-power transmissions can be controlled by an automatic frequency coordination system,” the alliance said in docket 18-295, posted Wednesday. The group downplayed AT&T concerns. “AT&T continues to challenge the public-interest benefit the Commission's proposals will produce, while ignoring the overwhelming evidence in this proceeding, distorting facts, contravening basic economic principles and making unfounded technical assumptions,” the alliance said. AT&T didn't comment. Gregory Bryant, general manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group, backed action on 6 GHz, in a call with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. Bryant “stressed the importance, for the continued success of Wi-Fi, that the Commission expeditiously open the full 6 GHz band including spectrum for low power indoor use,” said a filing.
The FCC’s NPRM on the 5.9 GHz band is expected to get a few changes from the draft circulated by Chairman Ajit Pai three weeks ago, when commissioners vote Thursday. The proposal in general has support from commissioners, concerned about providing more spectrum for Wi-Fi. Pai proposed (see 1911200055) that the lower 45 MHz of the 75 MHz chunk of spectrum be set aside for Wi-Fi, 20 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything technology and the FCC seek comment on assigning the remaining 10 MHz to C-V2X or dedicated short-range communications.
The FCC should “more explicitly invite comment” on relocating cellular vehicle-to-everything safety applications in its pending NPRM on 5.9 GHz, the Open Technology Institute at New America told an aide to Chairman Ajit Pai. The NPRM should also look at “authorization of contiguous, very wide-channel unlicensed access across the entire UNII-3, U-NII-4 and U-NII-5 bands,” the group said in docket 19-138, posted Tuesday. “This longer-term solution would be a win-win for consumers who will benefit immediately from fast and affordable Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and down the road from more secure auto safety communications.” Commissioners vote Thursday (see 1911210049).
Unlicensed radio local area network (RLAN) Wi-Fi wireless routers/transmitters in 6 GHz would interfere with electronic newsgathering services, as predicted, NAB said in an FCC docket 18-295 posting Thursday, citing an Alion study the association commissioned and submitted. Alion said testing of ENG receive sites near San Diego and Washington documented "many cases of significant continuous or near-continuous interference." NAB said the study used computer modeling of indoor camera to indoor receiver, outdoor camera to news truck, and outdoor news truck to central receive site: RLAN interference was so high that the signals were always equal to or greater than the ENG receiver noise floor.