Representatives of the Open Technology Institute at New America and Public Knowledge urged FCC action on pending 6 GHz issues, in a video call with an aide to Commissioner Brendan Carr. “We reiterated our strong support for rapidly making the full benefits of expanded unlicensed spectrum capacity for next generation Wi-Fi 6E/7 available to consumers,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: The groups also asked about the status of the 12 GHz proceeding “and, in particular, whether the Commission will continue to consider alternatives to mobile 5G sharing in the band if coexistence is not possible.”

Comments were sharply divided on a waiver request by the Wi-Fi Alliance of rules for the predictive propagation models that an automated frequency coordination system must employ in the 6 GHz band (see 2303210039). The alliance asked to be able to incorporate building entry loss (BEL) in its AFC model for specifically identifiable “composite devices” designed to operate in both low-power indoor (LPI) and standard power modes.

APCO opposed a waiver sought by the Wi-Fi Alliance of rules for the predictive propagation models that an automated frequency coordination system must employ in the 6 GHz band (see 2303210039). The waiver of a rule is appropriate “if special circumstances warrant a deviation from the general rule and such deviation will serve the public interest and will not undermine the policy underlying the rule,” APCO said, posted Wednesday in docket 23-107: “Wi-Fi Alliance has not demonstrated that special circumstances warrant deviation from the rule. Nor has it shown that such deviation will serve the public interest.”

Utility, public safety and other groups asked the FCC to launch a proceeding looking at cost recovery for 6 GHz incumbents, “an issue which has not been examined as part of this proceeding.” They also asked for “improvements in interference detection, identification, reporting, tracking, and elimination for the 6 GHz band, including the creation of a centralized interference reporting point that is publicly available” and a public comment period on extending the automated frequency coordination requirements “to all uses of the 6 GHz band to support the interference detection, identification, reporting, tracking, and elimination process,” per a filing Friday in docket 18-295. Among those signing the petition were the American Public Power Association, APCO, Edison Electric Institute, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Utilities Technology Council.

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson assured attendees at an NTIA listening session on a national spectrum strategy Thursday the administration understands the need for concrete action and a spectrum pipeline for 5G and 6G. Twenty other speakers signed up to offer comments, which covered all the usual spectrum issues, from the importance of unlicensed and dedicated license spectrum to evolving sharing technologies to the potential role for THz spectrum.

AT&T questioned a study CableLabs did last year of power-level sensitivity in the 6 GHz band (see 2211290068), which argued that the rules for the band can be further liberalized (see 2303270037). “Fundamentally, parties to this proceeding -- and the [FCC] itself -- should have the opportunity to develop a complete understanding of CableLabs’ purported simulation if that work is to be relied upon to expand the rights of radio local area network devices in the 6 GHz band,” said a Tuesday filing in docket 18-295. AT&T said the results, as reported, can't be verified. CableLabs should have to “file the simulations in their entirety instead of merely providing curated, self-interested results,” AT&T said: “The refusal to file the simulations is even more alarming in the face of NCTA’s inability -- on behalf of CableLabs -- to satisfactorily explain troubling inconsistencies, assumptions, and results that fly in the face of common-sense engineering and real-world testing.”

Cable representatives met via videoconference with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff to discuss a study CableLabs did last year of power-level sensitivity in the 6 GHz band (see 2211290068). “The simulation demonstrates that before a 6 GHz Low-Power Indoor (LPI) device causes any impact to a fixed link’s 99.999% reliability, the power spectral density (PSD) limit must be increased to significantly higher levels than what the Commission proposed in the 6 GHz FNPRM, and, even at those significantly increased PSD levels, 6 GHz LPI devices pose an extremely low risk of harmful interference to fixed link availability.” The cablers urged the FCC to wrap up work on an LPI proposal in the 6 GHz Further NPRM. At the meeting were Comcast, Charter Communications, Cox Enterprises, Quadra Partners and NCTA, said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295.

The “jury’s still out” on whether the FCC’s 3.45 GHz auction was a success, said John Hunter, T-Mobile senior director-technology and engineering policy, during an FCBA wireless lunch Wednesday. Speakers welcomed the administration’s early steps on a national spectrum strategy (see 2303200044).

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment Tuesday on a waiver sought by the Wi-Fi Alliance of rules for the predictive propagation models that an automated frequency coordination system must employ in the 6 GHz band. Comments are due April 5, replies April 20, in docket 23-107. In conditionally approving AFC operators, OET recognized that “building entry loss (BEL) could be an input to any predictive propagation model to determine permitted power levels for 6 GHz standard-power devices,” the notice said: “OET took no position on whether to permit AFC systems to account for BEL in their calculations. In its Waiver Request, Wi-Fi Alliance seeks flexibility for its AFC system to incorporate BEL attenuation losses when assessing allowable channel availability and power constraints for composite devices that are authorized to operate in both [low-power indoor] and standard power mode.”

Tech companies urged the FCC to ignore an AT&T filing last month to condition approval of 6 GHz automated frequency coordination system applications on compliance with requirements similar to those recently imposed by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) in Canada. “AT&T improperly asks the Commission to reconsider decisions already made in the 6 GHz Order,” the tech companies said: “The Commission should reject AT&T’s inappropriate and untimely effort to seek that relief. AT&T’s new requested ‘conditions’ have no relevance to open issues from [Office Engineering and Technology’s] AFC Conditional Approval Public Notice or the pending testing process. AT&T simply prefers how ISED decided certain issues.” The filing by Apple, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Qualcomm was posted Monday in docket 18-295.