FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s announcement Monday the FCC will launch a notice of inquiry on 12.7-13.25 GHz was a surprise to advocates of using 12.2-12.7 for 5G, but doesn’t necessarily have negative implications for a long-awaited order on the lower part of the spectrum range. The most substantial objections are likely to come from broadcasters, though fixed service, satellite and other links are in the band.

Experts said repeatedly at the ForumGlobal 6G conference Friday that planning needs to start now for the next generation of wireless beyond 5G. Speakers agreed regulators around the world will have to look at additional bands and put increased emphasis on more dynamic sharing.

The FCC shouldn’t provide further flexibility for unlicensed 6 GHz devices without a requirement for automated frequency coordination and there is no need for the FCC to address the issue quickly, AT&T said in a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. AT&T said it disagreed with arguments by NCTA and CableLabs (see 2208160038). “There is no time urgency to act on the proposals to raise the LPI [low power indoor] power limit or to authorize VLP [very low power] operations because it is now apparent that the use cases supporting those proposals can be realized under AFC control,” AT&T said: “Instead of approving higher LPI power devices -- which evidence indicates will harm [fixed service] components of vital telecommunications networks, including Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure systems -- the Commission should opt for the more prudent path of gaining real world experience with how these types of … applications interact with FS microwave links using AFC. Requiring AFC control has no or little cost to manufacturers of LPI and VLP devices given technology developments that already offer multiple means of connecting unlicensed devices using AFC controls.” NAB also countered the NCTA filing. “NAB’s current proposal is to reserve just 55 MHz of the 6 GHz band exclusively for licensed mobile use until real-world data is available to justify the removal of such reservation,” broadcasters said: “This would effectively serve as a pilot program to test the coexistence of unlicensed operations and licensed mobile operations and address our ongoing concerns regarding the potential for harmful interference to licensed mobile operations in the 6 GHz band. Contrary to NCTA’s assertion, we ask neither for a permanent reservation of spectrum nor a wholesale review of unlicensed operations in the band in the future.”

Intel and Broadcom demonstrated Wi-Fi 7 at over-the-air speeds of more than 5 Gbps, they said Thursday. The trial used an Intel Core processor-based laptop with Wi-Fi 7 connected to a Broadcom Wi-Fi 7 access point. The companies called Wi-Fi 7 the platform for "the next 10 years of wireless experiences" requiring higher speeds, lower latency, improved reliability and greater capacity. The next-generation Wi-Fi standard uses wider 320 MHz channels in unlicensed 6 GHz spectrum, higher order 4K QAM data modulation, simultaneous connections across multiple bands with multilink operation and improved channel utilization efficiency with multiresource unit puncturing, they said. Wi-Fi 7 will enable new product classes, including augmented and virtual reality, “ultra-high-definition” 16K media streaming and more responsive and reliable gaming, while supporting large numbers of connected devices on the network, they said.

Encina Communications fired back at a tech company filing last month challenging Encina’s proposal to use Part 101 frequency coordination procedures as an alternative to automated frequency coordination (AFC) in the 6 GHz band (see 2208150040). “The filing … is a mere smokescreen and should be disregarded as an attempt to divert attention from the indisputable fact that after two years the industry multi-stakeholder group ... has failed to date to resolve the FCC’s acknowledged technical and operational issues associated with the [AFC] system,” Encina said in a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295.

The Wireless Innovation Forum submitted to the FCC recommendations for public trials and demonstrations as part of an approval of automated frequency coordination systems in the 6 GHz band. The proposal is modeled on TV white space coordination. The forum proposed 30 days for trial, followed by seven days for the public to comment and then seven days for AFC system operators to respond. Potential AFC operators would have to provide the interface for the trial or use an “AFC System Public Testing Portal,” said the report, posted Friday in docket 18-295. 6 GHz AFC is less complicated than the white spaces, the report argues, since there are fewer FCC databases and “no requirements for testing manual entry of incumbent data.” The demonstration could “run concurrently with Public Trial” with a “suggested duration” of 30 days.

The 2.5 GHz auction was “an undisputed win” for T-Mobile (see 2209010060), Sasha Javid, BitPath chief operating officer, said in an analysis posted Friday. “T-Mobile spent $304 million to acquire 7,156 licenses covering by my estimates over 93% of the available POPs in this auction and over 67% of the nationwide POPs (including territories),” he said: “T-Mobile won licenses with an average depth over 100 MHz in each county. It also picked up most licenses in the 25 largest counties. … Better yet, T-Mobile paid only $0.014 per MHz-POP, or roughly $0.06 when you only consider the unencumbered MHz-POPs.” Javid said Verizon, not Dish Network as some speculated at the time (see 2208080061), was the bidder that shed demand in round six. “Verizon had over $56 million in processed demand in Round 5 before dropping substantially to just $1.5 million in Round 6,” he said: “Maybe one day, someone will explain what Verizon's strategy was in this auction. My suspicion is that they realized early that they could be stuck with unwanted licenses so their goal of driving up prices for T-Mobile was too risky.” AT&T not bidding wasn’t a surprise, Javid said, noting he thought Dish would “dabble” since prices were so low. “I guess even [Chairman] Charlie Ergen is feeling the pressure of those build out deadlines for DISH's existing spectrum assets,” he said.

The National Spectrum Management Association urged the FCC to require real-world tests, using 6 GHz devices, before further liberalizing rules for the band (see 2207060036). “Due in part to an increasingly complex spectrum management environment the public has been made increasingly aware of potential systemic failures involving large-scale systems that rely on fail-safe spectrum management,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295: “It is time to ensure the future operations of 6 GHz mission-critical systems will be undeniably proven safe.” NSMA noted an audit of the FCC Universal Licensing System found the “vast majority” of licensed 6 GHz systems “are mission-critical.”

On one of the big spectrum inquiries of the summer, most commenters agreed the FCC can do more to address spectrum offshore needs, though there was little consensus on what the agency should do. One big area of disagreement is the role unlicensed should have. Replies were due Friday on a notice of inquiry commissioners approved 4-0 in June (see 2206080055) and most were posted Monday in docket 22-204. In initial comments, carriers urged caution (see 2207280032).

Backers of a bid to fully fund the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program believe appropriations legislation, including a likely continuing resolution to extend federal payments past Sept. 30, is the most viable vehicle for formally allocating the additional money, due to concerns about delayed action on the House-passed (see 2207280052) Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624). Senate Commerce Committee leaders are grappling during the August recess with how to respond to HR-7624, which would allocate some proceeds from a proposed auction of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band for rip and replace reimbursements, given disagreements on spectrum policy priorities (see 2208090001).