The dynamic sharing framework the FCC adopted for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band may not translate elsewhere, said a Friday report to Congress. The FCC responded to instruction in the Spectrum Pipeline Act and earlier took comment on rule changes and on proposals to open 1 GHz of spectrum between 6 GHz and 56 GHz (see 1809120043). Commissioners didn’t vote on the 14-page report, by the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology. Work on the 3.5 GHz band is bearing fruit, the report said. “Intended to protect incumbent uses while encouraging innovative technologies and services," it "has fostered significant investment in the 3.5 GHz band,” the FCC said. “Most comments … coalesced around the adoption of a wait-and see-approach before the Commission decides to apply these techniques elsewhere.” Groups like the WinnForum are looking at similar sharing in other bands, the FCC said. “It is too soon to know whether other bands may be suitable for licensed or unlicensed use based on the techniques used in the 3.5 GHz band.” The 3.5 GHz rule changes were approved 3-1 at the October commissioners' meeting (see 1810230037). The staff report defends the changes. They "set the stage to: (1) promote investment in the band; (2) encourage rapid and robust network deployment; and (3) protect federal and non-federal incumbent users,” the report said. On proposals to reallocate spectrum for broadband above 6 GHz, the regulator “has made spectrum available for unlicensed use of the 64-71 GHz band and licensed fixed and mobile use in the 24 GHz, 28 GHz, 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands,” the report said. It notes the 6 GHz NPRM also approved in October (see 1810230038). The document said fixed service operators “heavily” use that band. “More than 27,000 licenses are issued for point-to-point operations” there, it said: “This proceeding has not been finalized and may not ultimately require use of automated frequency control systems throughout the band or involve a full one gigahertz of spectrum."

Pending and potential leadership turnover on the House and Senate Commerce committees will be on the minds of many in the telecom sector as they follow results of Tuesday's elections. The top GOP seats on the House and Senate Communications subcommittees will be up for grabs after the election, with outgoing Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., showing interest in the latter. There's potential for turnover in the top Democratic seat on Senate Commerce. The Judiciary committees and House Digital Commerce Subcommittee could also see leadership changes (see 1810310025).

FCC commissioners voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve an NPRM on opening 1,200 MHz of spectrum in the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use. It was tweaked to ask more questions about indoor use and the need for automated frequency coordination for all devices, as expected (see 1810170054). Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC should move forward to reconsider the 5.9 GHz band.

The FCC voted 4-0 to allow some rate-of-return rural telcos to choose incentive regulation for business data services, and to open rulemakings on the treatment of both RoR and price-cap carrier legacy transport. Commissioners gave eligible RoR carriers a second chance to opt into incentive regulation, instead of the single opportunity in a draft order with two Further NPRMs. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel concurred, supporting the outcome despite "analytical shortcomings." RLEC groups cheered.

The FCC approved revised rules for the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, as expected (see 1810160068), over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Mike O’Rielly, who crafted the revised rules, said changes were necessary to spark interest in the priority access licenses that will be sold as one tier of the band.

An FCC NPRM on allocating the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use is expected to get unanimous approval by commissioners Tuesday, industry and agency officials said. The NPRM is being tweaked, with a look at revising proposals on indoor use, automatic frequency coordination (AFC) and harmonizing the band, officials said. There was a flurry of filings heading into release of the sunshine agenda Wednesday in docket 18-295.

An NCTA-led coalition said the FCC should take a fresh look at the 5.9 GHz band sought for Wi-Fi. The FCC has been looking at sharing the band between Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) since 2013 (see 1301160063). With the agency considering shared use of the 6 GHz band in an NPRM set for a vote next week, coalition members said a new look at 5.9 GHz makes sense.

The Wi-Fi Alliance urged the FCC to propose low-power, indoor use of the 6 GHz band without automatic frequency coordination (AFC). “There are many reasons that low power unlicensed devices restricted to indoor-only use are unlikely to cause harmful interference to fixed service stations,” the coalition said. “Those unlicensed devices are most likely to be operated at or near ground level -- removed from the main beam of microwave transmissions, or in high-rise structures where structural steel, concrete and treated windows absorb most of radiofrequency energy outside.” The alliance said Friday in docket 18-295 it met with aides to the four commissioners and Julius Knapp, chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology. Commissioners will consider proposed rules at their meeting on allowing Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band (see 1810010027). Add additional questions to the NPRM “and provide more specific guidance about the types of evidence that would be most useful to the Commission in assessing the feasibility of these operations in each 6 GHz sub-band,” tech players said in FCC meetings with Mike O’Rielly and aides to the other commissioners. “Consider additional questions about the use of portable access points in the 6 GHz band, which have proven to be a key use case in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz unlicensed bands." They sought a comment request "on how technical rules governing transmitters can promote rural broadband deployment in the 6 GHz band.” The filing was signed by Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Marvell Technology Group, Microsoft, Qualcomm and Ruckus Networks.

Representatives of the Ultra Wide Band Alliance raised concerns about proposals in the FCC’s draft 6 GHz NPRM. Deployment “at the requested power levels, would effectively render many UWB products, services and applications useless,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 17-183. The alliance “holds grave concerns that the NPRM’s proposed power levels and use of the entire 6 GHz band will halt all innovation other than another variation of the current Wi-Fi techniques.” The FCC should consider ways to mitigate the risks for UWB, the alliance said. Members met with Chief Julius Knapp and others from the Office of Engineering and Technology. The FCC will consider proposed rules at the Oct. 23 commissioners' meeting allowing Wi-Fi in the 6 GHz band (see 1810010027).

"The race is on to see who will make 6 GHz available first for Wi-Fi,” with the U.S. and the EU looking at different approaches, blogged Chris Szymanski, Broadcom director-product marketing and government affairs. The FCC will consider a 6 GHz NPRM at the Oct. 23 commissioners' meeting (see 1810020050). The proposed U.S. rules are on “the right path, but a few improvements are required,” he said Tuesday. Most important is “enabling low power indoor use throughout the 6 GHz band, which is likely to be a common sharing approach throughout various regulatory regimes and enable global equipment harmonization,” Szymanski wrote. “Harmonization leads to scale, which in turn leads to higher value at lower costs.” NAB, meanwhile, raised 6 GHz concerns in a filing in docket 18-295. The band is used for electronic news gathering, including the use of portable transmitters on cameras and temporary fixed links to transmit program material back to studios, it noted. NAB is pleased the FCC plans to restrict operations to indoor use, but said that doesn’t resolve all its concerns. “Confining unlicensed operations in these bands to indoor operations does not address the potential for interference to broadcast operations that may take place indoors” at events, the group said. “Broadcast use for newsgathering operations tends to have high 'RF visibility’ because these links travel over long distances. Such links can easily travel through residential areas where unlicensed operations near windows could cause interference.”