The FCC is expected to propose getting rid of ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) rules for the S-band, potentially allowing Dish Network to provide terrestrial-only services in the 2 GHz spectrum allocated for mobile satellite services, industry and agency officials said of a rulemaking notice likely to be approved Wednesday. The agency will propose buildout conditions and leave related questions about the 2 GHz spectrum and advanced wireless service (AWS) band plans within a notice of inquiry, they said. The NOI will consider the future of the proposed 2 GHz expansion band, at 1695-1710 MHz, primarily used by NOAA, FCC officials said.

Dish Network “discussed the possibility of a more accelerated buildout schedule than what it proposed in its applications.” The discussion came during phone calls with FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Rick Kaplan and aides, the company said in an ex parte filing (http://xrl.us/bms62o). The FCC is reviewing Dish’s application to use the 2 GHz S-band satellite spectrum for terrestrial services as part of the company’s purchases of DBSD and TerreStar. Dish’s application said it would commit to buildout schedules like those in the Sprint/Nextel and Sprint/Clearwire deals -- somewhere around 30 million Americans within 6 years. AT&T has filed in the proceeding saying the FCC should impose LightSquared-like conditions. LightSquared agreed to build out to 260 million Americans within 6 years of the transfer of control from SkyTerra to Harbinger Capital Partners, the transaction that created LightSquared. Dish also said it may accept conditions that would give other carriers access to its S-band spectrum.

Questions about Dish Network’s 700 MHz E-block licenses has emerged as a consideration in the FCC’s review of Dish’s takeover of S-band spectrum. AT&T and U.S. Cellular have asked the agency to impose restrictions to “harmonize” the 700 MHz spectrum. The efforts seem to have touched a nerve with Dish, which discussed the issue with FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and an aide Friday (http://xrl.us/bmq5cy), following an FCC filing last week responding to AT&T. The filings may be more about negotiating leverage than about interference concerns, said industry observers. A Dish subsidiary owns licenses for 6 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum in 170 markets.

Dish Network should receive buildout requirements similar to those required of LightSquared, said AT&T in an FCC filing (http://xrl.us/bmpzm4). Dish, which seeks to use the 2 GHz band for terrestrial broadband, has said it would commit to buildout schedules like those in the Sprint/Nextel and Sprint/Clearwire deals -- somewhere around 30 million Americans within 6 years. LightSquared agreed to build out to 260 million Americans within 5 years and nine months of the transfer of control from SkyTerra to Harbinger Capital Partners, the transaction that created LightSquared. AT&T said the repurposing of the 2 GHz band for terrestrial service “will yield significant public benefits,” but also creates a windfall for Dish, and build-out requirements are necessary. The carrier said the commission should reject the revised buildout plan Dish presented to the FCC recently (CD Jan 25 p18), even though the details weren’t released. AT&T said in a footnote that Dish’s filing may violate the FCC’s ex parte rules due to the lack of specifics. The possibility of Dish combining its 2 GHz band holdings with its 700 MHz band licenses is a cause for interference concern with the 700 MHz spectrum AT&T bought from Qualcomm. The commission should resolve the potential interference issues now as part of Dish’s waiver request, said AT&T. It said the FCC should also reject calls to require agency approval for a sale or lease of spectrum to the top two wireless carriers, as was done in the Harbinger deal. “Those restrictions were procedurally improper” and “there is no basis for the adoption of similar restrictions in the current proceeding,” said AT&T.

The ITU-R study group on terrestrial services will approve one new recommendation and revise 13 others unless objections arise by March 15, the director of the Radiocommunication Bureau said in a letter to administrations. The new recommendation deals with frequency arrangements for public protection and disaster relief radiocommunication systems in UHF bands in accordance with the WRC-03 resolution on public protection and disaster relief. The recommendation provides guidance on frequency arrangements for public protection and disaster relief radiocommunication in certain regions in some of the bands below 1 GHz that are identified in the resolution, it said. The recommendation currently addresses arrangements in the ranges 746-806 MHz and 806-869 MHz in the Americas, 380-470 MHz in certain African, European and ex-Soviet countries and 806-824/851-869 MHz in some Asia-Pacific countries, in accordance with ITU-R and WRC resolutions. Revisions, including new fixed service system parameters, were made to the recommendation on considerations in the development of criteria for sharing between the fixed and other services. A recommendation on global circulation of IMT-2000 terminals was revised so it doesn’t deal with the IMT satellite component. Another draft revision addresses generic unwanted emissions characteristics of mobile and base stations using IMT-2000 terrestrial radio interfaces. Changes were also made to radio frequency channel arrangements for fixed wireless systems operating in the 7, 10, 11, 18 and 23 GHz bands, and for systems of the fixed service operating in the 38 GHz band. Changes were made to channel arrangements for medium- and high-capacity digital fixed wireless systems operating in the upper 6 GHz band, it said, referring to 6425 to 7125 MHz. Changes were made to channel arrangements for radio-relay systems operating in the 14 GHz band, it said.

The Senate won’t move spectrum legislation this year, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday. That development came the same day that House Commerce Republicans reversed position on the 700 MHz D-block, bringing the House and Senate closer to consensus. House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., who previously supported a commercial auction of the D-block, released a new draft of his spectrum bill that would give public safety the license to the D-block. However, House Commerce Democrats, who still have reservations about unlicensed spectrum and some other issues, released their own rival draft bill. The House Communications Subcommittee is scheduled to mark up spectrum legislation Thursday.

Reallocating spectrum for wireless backhaul is “essential” to “support the rapid deployment of next generation wireless services including mobile broadband,” PCIA said in comments on the FCC’s August wireless backhaul rulemaking (http://xrl.us/bmfepb). PCIA also said the FCC should “carefully weigh the benefits” of changing its technical parameters “to allow smaller backhaul antennas in the build out of wireless networks and their supporting infrastructure.” The FCC should also make it easier for carriers to get local approval for proposed wireless facilities, PCIA said (http://xrl.us/bmfeny). “The cost of local regulatory review of collocations and modifications of existing wireless facilities can be significant, both in time and money.” MetroPCS said in a filing at the agency that “cost-efficient access to adequate backhaul will be a key factor in promoting robust competition in the wireless marketplace” (http://xrl.us/bmfen2). Antenna standards should be relaxed to allow smaller antennas and wider bandwidths, MetroPCS agreed. “Smaller antennas are less expensive to install and maintain, and will result in reduced site rental costs,” the carrier said. “These cost savings will stimulate investment. In addition, wider bandwidths will allow mobile wireless broadband services to accommodate advanced functionalities such as video and Internet browsing which require greater bandwidth capacity.” The Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition also supported a move to allow smaller antennas (http://xrl.us/bmfeon), saying “smaller antennas are less expensive to manufacture, install, and maintain, and pose fewer siting difficulties.” The coalition said more spectrum must be made available for wireless backhaul. Fixed Service sharing in the 7 and 13 GHz bands “is a step in the right direction and will permit some new Fixed Service operations in lightly populated areas,” the group said. “By itself, however, 7/13 GHz sharing will not resolve the nationwide need for wireless backhaul spectrum, particularly in high-demand parts of the country. We urge the Commission to consider allocating additional bands for Fixed Services -- in particular, to implement Federal/non-Federal sharing in the 7125-8500 band.” Clearwire said it supports a proposal for smaller antennas in the 6, 18 and 23 GHz bands (http://xrl.us/bmfewc). “The use of smaller diameter antennas, especially at 23 and 18 GHz, will significantly increase the number of candidate sites/towers that Clearwire can consider for wireless backhaul while reducing deployment costs and structural modifications,” the company said.

Dish Network asked the FCC to waive integrated service rules in its purchase of S-band mobile satellite service/ancillary terrestrial component licensees TerreStar and DBSD. The request made Monday was part of Dish’s application to transfer TerreStar’s FCC licenses to Dish. Dish asked the FCC to combine its Monday filing with a previously filed application for DBSD’s licenses (CD April 12 p7). Dish is in the process of buying the MSS companies out of bankruptcy, which would give Dish 40 MHz of spectrum currently allocated for MSS/ATC use. The spectrum is also part of the 300 MHz identified in the National Broadband Plan as spectrum that could be available for broadband use within the next five years.

The FCC adopted an order that the commission said will help peel back several previous rules and allow fixed microwave operation in the spectrum bands that had been previously restricted. License holders will also be able to use adaptive modulation, “which will allow them to take advantage of the latest technology to maintain the reliability of links,” the FCC said. The FCC also eliminated the so-called “final link” rule, saying Tuesday’s rules would give broadcasters “flexibility” by letting them use fixed microwave links more frequently. The commission also launched a rulemaking seeking comment on ways to make microwave communications “more flexible and cost-effective."

GENEVA - Participants in ITU-R meetings may try to close a gap between the level of protection needed to guard fixed satellite service (FSS) systems from interference from high altitude platform station (HAPS) gateway links, according to interviews and documents. HAPS proponents say the gateway links can spur voice and data service in rural and underserved areas. Intelsat in the U.S. WRC-12 preparatory process has been strongly opposed to new identification of bands for HAPS gateway links, we've learned.