Representatives of NCTA, CableLabs and cable companies urged the FCC to adopt rules proposed in a 2020 Further NPRM (see 2004230059) allowing low-power indoor use of the 6 GHz band at levels higher than now allowed. They met with staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology. “The 6 GHz FNPRM’s proposed LPI power levels will not increase the risk of harmful interference to Fixed Service (FS) incumbent operators in the 6 GHz band,” the cable interests said in a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295: “CableLabs has repeatedly confirmed this with detailed technical analyses that use signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), rather than interference-to-noise power ratio (I/N), to determine the actual risk of impairment to an FS link’s signal. SINR is a more accurate indicator of interference risk than I/N because it is based on how interference (I) and noise (N) could affect a known signal (S).”

After meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel (see 2302070040), Apple representatives met with aides to the other commissioners to urge the FCC to act on rules allowing very-low power (VLP) mobile applications in the 6 GHz band, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. Apple discussed a recent Monte Carlo analysis of interference risks to incumbent links in the band in Houston. “Only probabilistic interference analysis -- not static, worst-case analysis -- is appropriate for VLP,” Apple said.

Apple representatives urged the FCC to act on rules allowing very-low power (VLP) mobile applications in the 6 GHz band, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Apple said it recently did a Monte Carlo analysis of interference risks to incumbent links in the band in Houston. “The clear conclusion” was “VLP worst-case scenarios are extremely rare and do not pose a significant risk to microwave links.” While the FCC’s 2020 6 GHz order “opened the band for fixed service, Apple views the highly-sought mobility of VLP as essential to meeting consumer demand,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. Apple noted other nations already permit VLP use “because of the recognition that there is no real-world risk to incumbent microwave links.”

Use of Wi-Fi has grown to a huge extent, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, experts said Monday during the virtual Fierce Wireless Wi-Fi Summit. But speakers disagreed how quickly adoption of the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi, through Wi-Fi 6E, will happen as other bands become more crowded. Commissioners approved an order in April 2020 (see 2004230059) allocating 1,200 MHz in the band for sharing with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use, and other countries followed the U.S. lead.

CommScope representatives explained the company’s approach to indoor geolocation of standard power access points for automated frequency control in the 6 GHz band, in a call with FCC Office of Engineering and Technology staff. The company also discussed AFC testing and certification, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. “Today’s Smartphone-based GPS solutions are highly accurate for location including leveraging other location reference points to define location for a Home Wi-Fi Access Point,” CommScope said.

Encina Communications Chairman Michael Mulcay and others from the company discussed 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), in a call with an aide to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Monday in docket 10-153. “Updating Part 101 Rules to Harmonize with Part 15 Rules requires no changes to Part 15 Rules, nor would it disrupt or undermine in any way the ongoing work to develop” an AFC system, Encina said.

Industry and public safety groups and companies asked the FCC for more clarity on an Office of Engineering and Technology notice last year conditionally authorizing 13 automated frequency coordination providers to operate in the 6 GHz band (see 2211030066). “In particular, the Joint Filers seek clarification that the Public Notice does not override industry consensus standards, including propagation model parameters specified by the Wireless Innovation Forum in its standards document known as WINNF-TS-1014,” said a filing Friday in docket 18-295: “That document contains dozens of specifications regarding the operation of AFC systems, all of which were achieved via broad inter-industry consensus through lengthy, painstaking, holistic, expert, and detailed deliberations.” Seeking clarification were APCO, AT&T, Comsearch, the Edison Electric Institute, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance, the Fixed Wireless Communications Council, the Utilities Technology Council and Verizon.

Southern Co. criticized an NCTA filing from November arguing that the power spectral density limit for 6 GHz low-power indoor access points floated in the 6 GHz Further NPRM isn't a big risk for causing harmful interference to incumbent fixed service links (see 2211290068). “The arguments made by NCTA are in conflict with real-world measurements taken by multiple tests on the public record, all of which show results consistent with Southern’s real-world testing, measurements, and analyses previously provided to the Commission,” the utility said, posted Friday in docket 18-295.

Encina Communications Chairman Michael Mulcay and others from the company explained 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), in a meeting with an aide to FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington. “Updating Part 101 Rules to Harmonize with Part 15 Rules requires no changes to Part 15 Rules, nor would it disrupt or undermine in any way the ongoing work to develop an” AFC system, said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. “This proposal is also clearly in the public interest as it immediately permits the safe deployment of outdoor Wi-Fi 6E … networks to bring the benefits of Wi-Fi 6E and beyond to the more than 290 million smartphone and fixed wireless access consumers nationwide in urban, suburban and rural areas, including underserved and unserved communities,” Encina said.

The Wireless Innovation Forum updated the FCC on work by its members on use of automated frequency coordination in the 6 GHz band. A WInnForum authorized test lab specification “has been balloted and approved by our members,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-352. The FCC last year conditionally authorized 13 AFC providers to operate in the band, subject to testing (see 2211030066). “The WInnForum is forming a Test Lab Assessment Task Group” and is “organizing a training webinar on the Test and Certification process,” the group said.