With 24 nations globally doing midband auctions to support 5G deployments, the U.S. needs to look beyond the C-band and citizens broadband radio service auctions to other means of freeing up midband for 5G, CTIA President Meredith Baker told FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel, according to docket 18-122 ex parte postings (see here and here) Monday. The steps should include issuing a further notice on licensing the upper portion of the 6 GHz band and a notice proposing to remove existing nonfederal allocations in the 3300-3550 MHz band, it said.

Tech and utilities interests continue to lock horns over Wi-Fi operations in the 6 GHz band. Utilities in a docket 18-295 ex parte posting Monday said their analysis of potential of harmful interference to their microwave links in the band (see 2001140057) is "based on conservative and realistic assumptions and inputs." CableLabs said otherwise (see 2002040066). The utilities in the filing -- Edison Electric Institute, the American Gas Association, the American Public Power Association, the American Water Works Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Utilities Technology Council -- defended the study's methodology and calculations. But Apple, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel Microsoft, NXP Semiconductors and Qualcomm said the study -- after "suitable adjustments to correct certain obvious errors" in assumptions and methodology -- shows radio local area networks aren't a harmful interference risk.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise executives lobbied FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on OK'ing 6 GHz unlicensed operations. HPE CEO Antonio Neri, HPE's Aruba Networks President Keerti Melkote and others asked the agency "to make these rules expeditiously to ensure that products and services based on unlicensed 6 GHz connectivity can be brought to market in the near term." That could help "the next wave of connectivity innovation," an HPE lawyer wrote in docket 18-295: Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum have made "transformational contributions" to the U.S. economy. The commission is expected to move this year to allow Wi-Fi in the band, amid utility and others' concerns (see 1911180050). Meanwhile, Southern Co. "urges" any such rules "include sufficient protections to ensure the integrity and reliability of licensed 6 GHz operations," the company said, also posted Friday. Radio local area network low-power indoor units in the band not using automated frequency coordination "will significantly impact Southern’s microwave links, even in a rural, non-urban setting," the utility said. It filed telecom engineer Lockard & White's analysis that Southern requested.

Comments on the FCC proposal for the 5.9 GHz band are due March 9, replies April 6, in docket 19-138, said Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved an NPRM in December 5-0 proposing to reallocate the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi and cellular vehicle to everything, while preserving 10 MHz for dedicated short-range communications (see 1912120058).

The Wireless ISP Association filed technical comments criticizing a January study by critical infrastructure associations on the risk of harmful interference from unlicensed operations without automatic frequency control in the 6 GHz band (see 2001140057). The study is “based on unreasonable assumptions and, therefore, presents flawed conclusions.” WISPA said in docket 18-295, posted Wednesday: “WISPA has a strong interest in ensuring that its members who hold and intensively use 6 GHz licenses for point-to-point operations are protected from harmful interference, and we are confident that the FCC, with the assistance of a multi-stakeholder group to develop the AFC, can implement an AFC to protect these incumbent services from higher-power outdoor and enable sharing with higher-power unlicensed operations.” The study was filed by the Edison Electric Institute, American Gas Association, American Public Power Association, American Water Works Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Nuclear Energy Institute and Utilities Technology Council.

Utility concerns about unlicensed operations in the 6 GHz band (see 2001140057) are predicated on incorrect assumptions and errors, CableLabs responded. Antenna gain to number of access points, when corrected, shows that low-power indoor Wi-Fi, operating without automated frequency coordination, is no interference risk to fixed service in the band, said the docket 18-295 posting Tuesday. The R&D group and the cable industry back FCC-unlicensed operations (see 2002030049). The utility interests didn't comment.

Tech companies met an aide to FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr and staff for the Office of Engineering and Technology on power levels required for 6 GHz band augmented and virtual reality body-worn devices. The FCC is considering rules for sharing the band with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed. “Given the significant body loss that affects connectivity between body-worn devices, 14 dBm radiated power is the minimum level of power that will reliably enable AR/VR applications” but the devices don’t have to “typically or constantly transmit at these power levels,” said the filing in docket 17-183. Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Microsoft, NXP Semiconductors, Qualcomm and Ruckus Networks were represented. Meanwhile, cable Interests are pushing for low-power indoor (LPI) Wi-Fi use in the band. Comcast, Charter Communications and Cable Labs told OET it isn't a threat to fixed service incumbents in the band, and data from 500,000 Wi-Fi access points used in simulations helped prove that, per another posting Monday. Comcast in meetings with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks urged allowing LPI use throughout the band without the need for automated frequency coordination.

The FCC approved 5-0 Thursday an NPRM seeking comment on whether the FCC should update its hearing aid standards, based on American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 2019 standards. Current rules are based on 2011 standards. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC must address the issue that last year’s ANSI standards don’t take into account new 5G phones using high-band spectrum.

The FCC certified the first four spectrum access system administrators for full-scale commercial launch of unlicensed use of the citizens broadband radio service band. The four are CommScope, Federated Wireless, Google and Sony. The development was expected as a critical next step for the band (see 1912260040). The four, plus Amdocs, were cleared last year to start initial commercial deployment in the 3.5 GHz spectrum. “The FCC has made it a priority to free up mid-band spectrum for advanced wireless services like 5G” and this is “the latest step to achieve that priority,” said Chairman Ajit Pai. Priority access licensees and general authorized access (GAA) users will share the band, with the administrators managing use of the band. Its first commercial use is in the GAA tier, with the FCC auction of PALs to start June 25. The Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology issued the approvals Monday. “With more than 25 customers offering commercial services and another 50 in development, Federated Wireless is extremely pleased with the momentum the market has achieved since[initial launch] in September, and we are eager to continue driving the next wave of services including private 5G,” said Federated Wireless CEO Iyad Tarazi: “2020 will be an extremely active year for all of us who have worked so hard to bring the promise of CBRS to reality, and we are fully committed to working closely with all of the customer segments that stand to benefit from the new business and service models being developed and deployed today.” After years of work, "full commercial deployment of CBRS shared spectrum is a real thing, not a dream,” emailed Louis Peraertz, Wireless ISP Association vice president-policy: “If it works in this complex band, other forms of sharing -- such as in the C-Band, 5.9 GHz and 6 GHz bands -- can and should go forward. We cannot wait to see what it will do for the band and for other spectrum.” Full commercial deployment “is the final stage in the commercialization process that started in 2013 when the FCC began pursuing an innovative shared spectrum model in the 3.5 GHz band,” the CBRS Alliance said: “The success of this initiative is the result of unprecedented public-private partnerships between industry and government organizations.”

FCC staff is holding “routine discussions and meetings with NTIA on behalf of other federal agencies and consultation with the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission” on the 6 GHz band, Chairman Ajit Pai told Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, in a Jan. 16 letter posted Friday. The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology “has been evaluating a variety of issues, such as indoor and outdoor use cases and a variety of device power levels, to discern whether and to what extent unlicensed operations can exist alongside incumbent uses,” Pai said: “The Commission will ultimately be driven by the facts in the record, including the technical analysis that OET compiles.” FERC raised concerns about utilities sharing the 6 GHz band with Wi-Fi (see 1912190082).