Consensus is starting to emerge on the C band, with the different proposals getting closer together, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said at the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Global Summit Thursday. The FCC needs to get as much as 300 MHz available for 5G “as soon as possible,” O’Rielly said. “My first priority is speed,” he said.

Tech players told Chief Julius Knapp and others in the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology that the 6 GHz band can safely be used for radio local access networks without threatening fixed-service users of the band. “We discussed the analysis in the record showing that RLAN operations will protect FS links, including the detailed engineering study prepared by RKF Engineering,” the companies said in docket 18-295, posted Tuesday. Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Marvell Technology and Qualcomm were represented on what some see as a key band for Wi-Fi (see 1903190050).

Representatives of the 5G Automotive Association asked the FCC to act on its waiver request to allow vehicle-to-everything technology (C-V2X) in the 5.9 GHz band, in meetings with an aide to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Chief Julius Knapp and others from the Office of Engineering and Technology, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-357. Pai was ready to circulate an NPRM on the band for the June 6 commissioners' meeting, but postponed seeking a vote after the Transportation Department asked for a delay (see 1905150053). After earlier endorsing an NPRM (see 1904080048), the 5GAA representatives said C-V2X operations in the band “can make American roadway travel safer, smarter, and more efficient. Because the Commission’s rules do not currently permit C-V2X operations in the 5.9 GHz band, we discussed how a grant of the waiver request … would help remove the most significant regulatory roadblock standing in the way of stakeholders deploying this technology.”

The 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band is unlikely to play a big role in Wi-Fi and instead will provide the unlicensed component of 5G, Martha Suarez, new president of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance, said in an interview. Suarez recently joined DSA after serving as general director of the National Spectrum Agency in Colombia. DSA’s global summit is this week in Washington.

Computer & Communications Industry Association Policy Counsel John Howes leaving CCIA; Howes has begun working at the Wireless Infrastructure Association, where he was hired as government affairs counsel, WIA confirms to us ... Alignment Government Strategies hires from Williams & Jensen Tracy Taylor as counsel; she'll lobby for the firm's clients including Discovery, firm tells us ... U.S. Chamber of Commerce hires from Subject Matter Tim Doyle, also ex-CTA, as vice president-communications ... Information Technology Industry Council hires Vivien Zuzok, ex-Grayling, as senior manager-policy, Europe.

Lawyers for the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition met with aides to FCC Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks about their concerns on unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band. “Fixed Service users have [concerns] regarding the ongoing 6 GHz band proceeding,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295. Starks aide Bill Davenport asked about “the number of distinct 6 GHz Fixed Service sites (as opposed to links),” the coalition said: “Treating antenna locations that are separated by at least one second of latitude or longitude as separate sites, there are 37,033 such 6 GHz Fixed Service sites.”

New Street’s Jonathan Chaplin told investors Wednesday if T-Mobile and Sprint really have reached an agreement to sell assets to Dish Network for $6 billion, the sale probably includes as many as 12 million prepaid subscribers and spectrum in either the 800 MHz or 2.5 GHz bands. Agreement could be enough to end the lawsuit filed by state attorneys general (see 1906110044), he said. “Presumably, the asset acquisition helps establish DISH as a credible enough fourth carrier such that the DOJ can approve the deal,” Chaplin said: “The state AG’s will then decide whether the divestitures and other conditions are sufficient to cure the competitive harms that they see arising from the deal. … We think the concessions could weaken the state’s case enough such that they drop their suit or lose in court, but it will depend on the details of the concessions.”

FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly told the Wi-Fi Alliance annual meeting Tuesday the 5.9 and 6 GHz bands offer the best hope for more spectrum for Wi-Fi. The 6 GHz band will offer the wide channel sizes important to the new standard, Wi-Fi 6, O’Rielly said. “Where 5.9 GHz would provide a nice new slice for unlicensed use, 6 GHz provides a whopping 1.2 gigahertz of spectrum.” Making the 6 GHz band available for Wi-Fi won't be easy, he said: “The FCC fully recognizes that incumbents must be protected. At the same time, any such protections must be reasonable. We no longer have the luxury of over-protecting incumbents via technical rules, enormous guard bands, or super-sized protection zones. Every megahertz must be used as efficiently as possible.” O’Rielly’s speech follows comments Monday at New America (see 1906030069 or 1906040021).

Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel said there's strong interest in the 6 GHz and 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi, but neither band will come online overnight, a New America conference heard Monday. O’Rielly told reporters later the rules for the 6 GHz band are still taking shape. The New America focus was how a new standard for Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 6, will support 5G.

The Utilities Technology Council reported on meetings with aides to all FCC members, except Chairman Ajit Pai, on the importance of the 6 GHz band (see 1905200048) to its members (see here, here, here and here). Critical infrastructure companies use the band for “safe, reliable and secure delivery of essential services,” UTC said in docket 18-295: “Owing to the criticality of these services, their microwave systems are designed, built, and maintained to operate at extremely high standards for reliability and low latency. Potential interference from unlicensed operations represents an unreasonable risk to the performance of these microwave systems in the 6 GHz band, and the parties explained that interference must be prevented rather than fixed after the fact.” The agency is examining Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use of the band (see 1903190050).