The Society of Broadcast Engineers asked the FCC to set aside 55 MHz at the top of the 6 GHz U-NII-8 band as a “safe harbor” for electronic newsgathering (ENG) operations. “Fundamentally, SBE respectfully submits that temporarily reserving a small swath of spectrum for incumbent, mission-critical broadcast ENG operations has no policy drawbacks, and instead only benefits both the public and affected industry stakeholders,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295.

Tech companies responded to NAB concerns (see 2410290052) about interference to broadcasters' electronic news-gathering (ENG) operations from very-low-power (VLP) devices in parts of the 6 GHz band. The companies noted that in June they submitted a report on broadcast auxiliary service use of the spectrum and VLP (see 2407010057). “NAB faults the study for simulating distant devices in locations where they could not cause interference,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: “But this is no flaw. Rather, the fact that the vast majority of VLP devices will not operate in locations where they could cause harmful interference is a key finding of the study.” Apple, Broadcom, Google, Meta Platforms and Qualcomm made the filing.

SiriusXM Radio told the FCC that its network is more vulnerable than other incumbents to interference from outdoor use of very-low-power devices in part of the 6 GHz band. The company was responding to Apple, which last month downplayed those concerns in meetings at the FCC. “Sirius XM’s satellite-delivered service is unique among satellite providers because of our custom-designed network that provides digital audio and data services primarily to vehicles,” said a filing Tuesday in docket 18-295. The service “is received by these vehicles through low gain, tea cup size satellite antennas installed on vehicle roofs,” SiriusXM said: “These antennas use an extremely low noise amplifier to capture very weak signals near the noise floor from satellites located more than 36,000 kilometers above the Earth.”

The Tuesday congressional elections could lead to significant turnover on the Senate Commerce Committee even beyond ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, with four other panel members facing tough or potentially competitive reelection fights. The outcome of Cruz’s reelection bid against Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, has the biggest potential to alter the Senate Commerce dynamic because Cruz is poised to become panel chairman if he's reelected and Republicans gain a majority in the upper chamber (see 2411040049). Late polls suggested both of these results are more likely than not. It's less likely there will be substantial turnover on the Senate Judiciary, House Commerce and House Judiciary committees, as only a handful of those panels’ members face competitive contests.

Fans and critics of the proposal giving very-low power (VLP) devices greater access to the 6 GHz band (see 2410040055) are lobbying the 10th floor. The band's U-NII-6 and U-NII-8 portions are key to broadcasters' electronic news-gathering (ENG) operations and face particular threat from increased indoor and outdoor unlicensed operations, NAB said in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. In meetings with FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's office and the Office of Engineering and Technology, NAB said broadcasters are concerned VLP unlicensed devices might operate at power levels similar to those that licensed mobile ENG equipment use. Reserving "a mere 55 MHz" for licensed mobile use would be a "safe harbor" for ENG, it said. Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta, meeting with the offices of Commissioners Nathan Simington and Anna Gomez, said VLP access to the U-NII-6 and U-NII-8 portions will mean more spectrum available for emerging portable applications, thus improving channel availability and performance. They said the risk of harmful interference from VLP devices to fixed service, broadcast auxiliary service and satellite networks is tiny.

The Biden administration is moving forward on the national spectrum strategy, in some cases more quickly than is widely recognized, Shiva Goel, NTIA senior spectrum adviser, told the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas last week. Goel’s comments build on the remarks of NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson at MWC (see 2410090045). “We're hard at work already on lower 3 and 7 and 8 [GHz],” Goel said. “We're bringing lower 37 [GHz] to a close” and “18 GHz is in full swing already, and then there's everything else.” Goel said DOD, which is working with NTIA on the lower 3 GHz study, hasn’t been “secretive” about its “preference for a … solution” based on dynamic spectrum sharing. “We're supporting” DOD “in building a demo of that capability,” but “that doesn't mean we can't also collaborate on other options for the band.” The strategy’s research and development plan is in its final stages, he said. On staffing, “we're getting the agencies together to spot gaps and ways to fill them to make sure we have people in government able to do this work far into the future.” Goel continued: “Our spectrum problems aren't getting any easier.” The relationship between NTIA and the FCC “is as good as I've ever seen it,” said Ira Keltz, the commission’s new acting chief engineer. The No. 1 priority is the proposed spectrum pipeline and the FCC’s Spectrum Steering Team, which he co-chairs, is hard at work, Keltz said. “We've got plenty of staff at the commission completely engaged in all the activities that are going on.” The top priorities are the lower 3 and 7.8 GHz studies, but the FCC is also focused on 37 GHz, he said. “There's still a ways to go” on the strategy, said Will Johnson, Verizon senior vice president-federal regulatory and legal affairs, “but there [are] also things to celebrate.” The wireless industry knows it will need about 1,500 MHz of mid-band spectrum over the next 10 years, and the pipeline “still remains fairly uncertain,” Johnson said: “We know some bands that are being studied. … But in terms of knowing which bands are actually going to make their way all the way through to commercial use, to auction, we're pretty far from having that kind of clarity at this point.” Luciana Camargos, GSMA head of spectrum, called for more leadership from the U.S. During the World Radiocommunication Conference last year, the U.S. message was that it didn’t want international mobile telecommunications in the 6 GHz band, but it failed to offer alternatives, Camargos said. The U.S. “didn't even support the new agenda item” looking at 4, 7 and 15 GHz, she said: “To me, that's very relevant. … If you don't support looking forward, how can you lead on this?” Keltz said the FCC understands wireless industry concerns about a spectrum pipeline. "We need high-powered dedicated spectrum," he said: "I think we need a little of everything. ... We need to make sure that our unlicensed industry has spectrum they can use." CTIA and GSMA co-sponsor MWC.

FCC Commissioners Nathan Simington and Geoffrey Starks warned the Mobile World Congress in Las Vegas that the FCC’s loss of general spectrum auction authority last year is hampering U.S. competitive efforts against major rivals in the 6G race. CTIA President Meredith Baker sounded a similar theme at the beginning of the conference, which CTIA sponsors with GSMA (see 2410080044).

Sirius XM Radio opposed FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's proposal to allow the operation of very-low power (VLP) devices, without coordination, in the U-NII-6 and U-NII-8 portions of the 6 GHz band (see 2410040055). The company’s radio service in the satellite digital audio radio service band “cannot operate without reliable access to the 7.025-7.075 GHz band to uplink programming for delivery to tens of millions of listeners and to control its spacecraft,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. “SDARS is highly vulnerable to aggregate interference from the open-ended deployment of unlicensed devices operating outdoors,” Sirius XM said: “The Commission’s decision just four years ago to limit operations in the U-NII-8 band to indoor use correctly reflected that concern.”

AT&T on Wednesday called for major changes in how 3 GHz, including the citizens broadband radio service band, is configured, going beyond what the FCC proposed in an August NPRM (see 2408160031). Meanwhile, during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday, experts said the CBRS band has demonstrated the value and importance of spectrum sharing.

A representative of Apple, Broadcom and Meta Platforms spoke with aides to all the FCC commissioners except Anna Gomez on a proposal that the FCC extend rules for very-low power operations in the 6 GHz band across the U-NII-6 and U-NII-8 bands, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-295. The calls occurred before Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed that step last week (see 2410040055).