NCTA urged the FCC to reject a warning by FirstEnergy and other electric utilities of interference risks for incumbents in the 6 GHz band as more Wi-Fi users take advantage of the spectrum (see 2305100047). “In a series of untimely attempts to convince the Commission to reverse key aspects of the landmark 6 GHz Order, the Utilities Incumbents nonetheless persist in testing [low-power indoor] access points in unrealistic scenarios engineered to yield harmful interference results,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295: “In doing so, the Utilities Incumbents contend that the forced results of their contrived, worst-case-scenario testing -- precisely the analytical approach the Commission rejected in the 6 GHz Order -- somehow reflect ‘real world’ risk.”

Allocating the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use can help cut overall energy use relative to using carrier networks, argues a new study by WIK, released by the Wi-Fi Alliance Monday. European nations are considering whether to follow the U.S. lead and allocate the full 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi, and a key decision on the spectrum is expected at the World Radiocommunication Conference, which starts Nov. 20 in Dubai.

Representatives of Google and Qualcomm addressed questions from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on the possibility of subjecting very-low-power (VLP) devices to exclusion zones in the 6 GHz band, as proposed by some band incumbents. “If the Commission were to require some system of exclusion zones, it could ensure that VLP exclusion zones would be no larger than a 6 GHz automated frequency coordination system would have computed for a device at the same power level,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. “At the very least these exclusion zones should account for 3 dB of polarization mismatch loss, up to 3 dB of feeder loss (depending on the Fixed-Service radio), and a Fixed-Service receiver noise figure of 4.0-4.5 dB, depending on frequency,” they said. The FCC proposed in an April 2020 Further NPRM to allow VLP devices to operate in the band indoors without use of AFC (see 2306230046).

PCTEL announced release of a new tri-band omnidirectional antenna targeting industrial IoT, enterprise and mining customers. “PCTEL’s new tri-band antenna platform offers top-of-the-line performance in a rugged, low-profile design and can operate in the full Wi-Fi 7 frequency range, allowing simultaneous support of multiple Wi-Fi standards in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands,” the company said Wednesday.

Representatives of Apple and Broadcom proposed rule tweaks for very low-power operations in the 6 GHz band, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. They also spoke with a staffer from the Office of Engineering and Technology. The FCC proposed in an April 2020 Further NPRM to allow VLP devices to operate in the band indoors without automated frequency control (see 2306230046). “In order to reduce the already insignificant risk of harmful interference even further … we discussed that the Commission could take two further steps,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. The FCC could create a transmit power control (TPC) rule for VLP equipment “that contains a specific and measurable power-reduction mandate,” the filing said: “Such a rule could state that TPC shall, on average, reduce the PSD [power spectral density] of the VLP device by 3 dB, compared to the maximum permitted PSD of VLP devices. The Commission would then permit VLP equipment makers to demonstrate during the FCC device certification process that a particular VLP device complies with this rule in order to receive authorization to operate at the maximum permitted” PSD. The FCC could also prohibit VLP devices from operating as part of a fixed outdoor installation, Apple and Broadcom said: “By doing so, the Commission would ensure that all VLP operations would be itinerant, not operating at any one set place and in any one set orientation to a FS receiver.”

University of Michigan tests found little risk to 6 GHz incumbents from unlicensed use of the band, researchers from that school, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago, told the FCC. The researchers presented the results to staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology and filed a paper in docket 18-295, said a Friday filing. Some 16,000 Wi-Fi 6E access points (APs) have been deployed in about 225 buildings at the Michigan school, researchers said. “We gathered tens of thousands of measurements of Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) along with other system parameters with consumer devices, smartphones and laptops, over two representative areas: a dense enterprise deployment in the main campus area and a residential deployment close to campus,” they said: “We also presented results of measurements made at a single building in the University of Notre Dame with 70 deployed APs. Our results demonstrate that while outliers with high RSSI values are observed, the median outdoor RSSI values do not pose any interference risk to incumbents.” The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and aims at developing an “unbiased, statistical understanding of the nature of a real-world, dense Wi-Fi 6E deployment,” the filing said.

HWG’s Paul Margie, who represents tech companies on 6 GHz issues, urged Office of Engineering and Technology Chief Ron Repasi to further liberalize rules for the band. Margie noted the importance of very-low power operations and “the consideration of 6 GHz matters at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. Margie represents Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta Platforms.

Industry officials say they’re hearing little about when the FCC will approve final rules for the 5.9 GHz band. FCC commissioners approved an order in November 2020 opening 45 MHz of the band for Wi-Fi, while allocating 30 MHz for cellular vehicle-to-everything technology. Follow-up work remains.

Groups representing 6 GHz incumbents spoke with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel about cost recovery mechanisms for licensees having to mitigate against interference in the band, which was opened for unlicensed use three years ago (see 2004230059). “Costs that have been or will be incurred by incumbents due to new unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band include: baselining the RF environment, procurement of equipment and software that would enable licensees to identify interference and, if necessary, relocation of microwave facilities to other spectrum bands or alternative communications facilities,” said a filing Friday in docket 18-295. They cited as precedent a 1996 order by the FCC providing a plan for sharing the costs of relocating microwave facilities from the 2 GHz band. Among those at the meeting were the Utilities Technology Council, APCO, the Edison Electric Institute, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Representatives of the Wi-Fi Alliance discussed with FCC staff a “package of specifications” now complete for evaluating 6 GHz standard-power devices. “Presentation of this package culminates a multiyear effort by Wi-Fi Alliance members to advance the 6 GHz Wi-Fi ecosystem,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: “We expressed hope that these specifications will support and expedite the Commission’s effort to authorize 6 GHz standard power devices. We also expressed our continuing commitment to assist the Commission toward that goal.” Wi-Fi advocates hope for FCC action soon on a 2020 Further NPRM on 6 GHz operations (see 2306230046).