Representatives of the Utilities Technology Council, Edison Electric Institute, APCO and others spoke with aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on their request that the agency stop certifying low-power indoor (LPI) devices in 6 GHz and seek new rules for the band (see 2112080058). They “requested that the Commission immediately grant the Request for Stay and expeditiously adopt a rulemaking to develop new rules for 6 GHz LPI devices, establish a cost recovery mechanism to reimburse the costs incurred by licensed microwave incumbents to mitigate and resolve interference from unlicensed operations in the band,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. They also sought “independent testing to consider the extent to which new rules for standard power access devices should be developed."

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance urged the FCC to stay further certification of low-power indoor (LPI) devices in the 6 GHz band, as sought by the Utilities Technology Council and others (see 2112080058), until it fully evaluates Southern Co. interference field tests. “EWA has no reason to challenge the FCC’s decisions in this proceeding other than a profound concern about the interference potential of unlicensed LPI operations in the 6 GHz band under the current rules, a concern that has been greatly increased in light of the Southern Test Report,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. EWA said it represents “numerous utilities, transportation providers, oil and gas companies, manufacturers, private wireless operators, and other enterprise users that depend heavily on 6 GHz microwave networks to manage their operations.”

The Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition urged the FCC to reject a November request to consider using Part 101 frequency coordination procedures as an alternative to automated frequency coordination. “Because Encina’s Letter is not clear regarding what it seeks and does not meet the requirements for a petition for rulemaking or a waiver of the rules, the Commission should dismiss the Letter at this time,” the coalition said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295.

The Wi-Fi Alliance, NCTA and others urged the FCC to reject a request that it stop certifying low-power indoor (LPI) devices in the 6 GHz band, sought by the Utilities Technology Council and others (see 2112080058). Utilities supported the stay, citing the results of recent field tests by Southern Co.

The U.S. is “in great shape” on 5G competition internationally, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr told a Media Institute virtual event Thursday. He said the agency's approach over the past five or six years of freeing up spectrum and lowering infrastructure barriers has been a proven success. He waved off former Google Executive Chairman CEO Eric Schmidt's repeated warnings of the U.S. lagging behind other nations such as China as "the Chicken Little of 5G leadership." Google didn't comment. Carr said more should be done in spectrum availability and infrastructure reform, citing completion of the 2.5 GHz auction and authorizing very low power use in the 6 GHz band as goals. Asked about 6G planning, Carr said the U.S. could start contemplating issues like the terahertz spectrum it might require, but the U.S. has "got to tend to our knitting" with 5G foremost. Asked about the likelihood of a resumption of net neutrality rules, he said it's "largely baked in" that the agency will at least debate a return to Communications Act Title II rules, though he was dismissive. "It's such an old debate of the past," he said, saying regulatory focus shouldn't be on ISPs but on edge provider behavior. He said if rate regulation were taken off the table, it would be relatively easy to find consensus about net neutrality rules for blocking and throttling. He said there could be a route for Communications Decency Act Section 230 changes that puts an affirmative anti-discrimination requirement on platforms while remaining consistent with the First Amendment. He said the Supreme Court's rulings on the First Amendment, when put on a continuum, include an opening for regulating tech companies' actions as a speech conduit while not implicating the First Amendment. Asked whether the FCC's 2018 broadcast ownership quadrennial review is likely to get done in 2022, Carr said there "is some precedent" for rolling it over: "These may start to run together a little bit."

The Utilities Technology Council and other utility, public safety and infrastructure groups asked the FCC to stop certifying low-power indoor (LPI) devices in the 6 GHz band because of the alleged interference risk, in a petition posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. The groups filed a separate petition seeking a rulemaking to develop revised rules for the band. Industry officials said the FCC is unlikely to retreat from last year’s 5-0 order allocating 1,200 MHz for sharing with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use in the band (see 2004230059). Another wild card is a challenge to the rules at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where the FCC faced tough questions in September oral argument (see 2109170057).

Numerous nations have a regulatory focus on the 6 GHz band now, before the band is also center of attention at the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), international regulators said Thursday on a Wireless Innovation Forum 2021 panel. Several countries said they're looking at technological means to better allow spectrum sharing, particularly of the 6 GHz band.

Fourteen companies or organizations are seeking FCC certification to be an automated frequency coordination (AFC) system operator in the 6 GHz band, per docket 21-352 filings this week. Applications were due Tuesday (see 2109290040). Some applicants touted what they said was pertinent experience. Key Bridge Wireless said it has provided flexible dynamic spectrum access services in the VHF and UHF television bands and worked as a TV band white space administrator. Amdocs cited its 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service spectrum access system, and Plume Design referenced its software-as-a-service experience platform for communications service providers. Citing its work as a spectrum access system administrator for the 3.5 Ghz band, Sony said it has "a comprehensive understanding of the technical and operational requirements for managing wireless spectrum access" and it has sufficient funds and access to capital to develop and operate the proposed AFC system for the anticipated five years. Federated Wireless said its work since 2018 in developing an AFC system to allow Wi-Fi and 5G New Radio Unlicensed deployments in the 6 Ghz band means becoming an AFC system operator would be "a natural extension." Other applicants are Nokia, Qualcomm, the Wi-FI Alliance, CableLabs subsidiary Kyrio, the Wireless Broadband Alliance, Red Technologies, Google, Comsearch and Broadcom.

Finding ways to make parts of the 3.1-3.45 GHz band available for nonfederal use, as laid out in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (see 2111120050), faces a variety of big hurdles, spectrum sharing experts said Tuesday at the annual Wireless Innovation Forum. NTIA Office of Spectrum Management Executive Director Scott Patrick said relations with the FCC "are in a nice spot right now," with commitments high in the Biden administration that agencies understand the positions of other agencies, and with plans for more concrete actions once NTIA and FCC leaders are confirmed. The two agencies collaborate a "tremendous amount" daily, said FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Deputy Director Ira Keltz, saying the agencies may not always agree but "the working relationship is good."

Wi-Fi 6 will reach more than 1.5 billion chipset shipments in 2022, said ABI Research, with Wi-Fi 6E component shipments to nearly triple shipments from this year. Ultra-wideband devices are expected to reach nearly 500,000 units as adoption rises in smartphones, wearables, speakers and personal trackers, said the research firm. Wi-Fi 6 grew in 2021 on adoption in smartphones from Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, while growing availability of mobile Wi-Fi 6E chipsets and platforms from chipset vendors Qualcomm, Broadcom and MediaTek will accelerate the transition to 6-GHz capable devices, it said. Tablets and PCs are also transitioning to Wi-Fi 6 and 6E technology, it said.