A long-awaited FCC order on changes to rules for the citizens broadband radio service band is unlikely for the Sept. 26 commissioners’ meeting, but should get a vote at the Oct. 23 meeting, said industry officials active in the 3.5 GHz proceeding. FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said in early July he started to share his long-awaited proposal for the band with Chairman Ajit Pai (see Notebook section at end of 1807120033).

Comments are due Sept. 17, replies Oct. 8 on FCC spectrum proposals to modify the 37, 39 and 47 GHz band plans in preparation for an auction, said a proposed rule, for Monday's Federal Register, from a Further NPRM approved Aug. 2 (see 1808020025). A 3.7-4.2 GHz band order and certification requirements adopted July 12 (see 1807120037) takes effect Monday with a rule in the FR, but satellite earth-station and space-station reporting duties must await approval by the Office of Management and Budget. Two other rules (here and here) for Monday's FR take effect Sept. 19: a July 6 order to establish a framework for measuring the broadband speed and latency performance of Connect America Fund support recipients (see 1807060031), and a July 13 order eliminating long-distance dialing-parity and database query requirements, aimed at helping pave the way for eventual nationwide number portability (see 1807130053).

A group of tech companies and SiriusXM are butting heads over a technical study on coexistence in the 6 GHz band. Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Marvell Technology, Microsoft and Qualcomm in docket 17-183 Friday said Sirius criticisms of the RKF Engineering study actually confirm the study in some parts and don't provide reasonable alternatives to the assumptions in others. Apple and the others said the RKF study -- looking at the 5925-6425 MHz band -- includes 12 times as many terrestrial links as the band, including Sirius feeder links, so that company confirms its uplink operations are even less vulnerable to terrestrial noise than the one with the representative system characteristics RKF analyzed. The tech companies dismissed Sirius claims the 6 GHz band will be used more heavily than the 5 GHz and 2.4 radio local area network, saying the satellite-radio provider doesn't understand how radio resource management algorithms of managed and unmanaged RLAN deployments work. Sirius outside counsel didn't comment Friday. The company has said satellite digital audio radio service in some parts of the country is subject to downlink frequency band interference, leaving it with no margin for tolerating additional interference, and big RLAN device deployments expected over the next seven years would just worsen the problem.

The FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology sought comment Friday in two areas as required by the Spectrum Pipeline Act. Congress required the FCC to submit an analysis of the results of 2015 rule changes to the 3.55-3.65 GHz band no later than Nov. 2, the public notice said. Due the same day, Congress asked for “an analysis of proposals to promote and identify additional spectrum bands that can be shared between incumbent uses and new licensed and unlicensed services under such rules and identification of at least 1 gigahertz between 6 GHz and 57 GHz for such use,” the FCC said. Comments are due Sept. 11 in docket 14-177, replies Sept. 26.

The Wi-Fi Alliance and several major tech companies, including Apple and Microsoft, are pressing the FCC to create a special class of indoor-only devices that can be safely used in the 6 GHz band, with an NPRM expected later this year. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said after the August FCC meeting the NPRM will likely get a vote in one of the four remaining 2018 meetings, though he wasn't more specific.

The Wi-Fi Alliance urged the FCC to release an NPRM on the 6 GHz band. The request came in a meeting with staff from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology. Chairman Ajit Pai told reporters Thursday the NPRM will be released by year-end. “The Wi-Fi Alliance continues to develop recommendations for technical parameters to govern the 6 GHz band that will satisfy the twin goals of maximizing the use of the band for unlicensed devices and protecting incumbent Fixed Satellite Service and Fixed Service operations,” said a filing in docket 17-183. The alliance expects to offer specific proposals on “the appropriate power limit for indoor-only devices, including an associated limit on antenna gain. ... Devices that meet these parameters [likely won't] require any automated frequency coordination,” outdoor power limits and installation and operation requirements for outdoor access points to protect FSS.

Congress must do more to encourage rural broadband deployment, House Communications Subcommittee members said at a hearing Tuesday. There was general bipartisan agreement on the need to promote various technological solutions and on certain ongoing legislative efforts to remove deployment barriers. Discord was heard on federal infrastructure spending and municipal broadband.

The Wi-Fi Alliance isn’t enthusiastic about the 4.9 GHz band now dedicated to public safety, the group said in a filing on FCC meetings in docket 17-183. “The limited bandwidth and in-band and adjacent band incumbent operations at 4.9 GHz appear to preclude the suitability of this band as a candidate for Wi-Fi operations.” The alliance encouraged prompt action on Wi-Fi in the 5.9 GHz band. “The Wi-Fi industry is eager to maximize the use of this valuable spectrum resource following the resolution of the current regulatory uncertainty,” the group said. The alliance also welcomed an FCC focus on the 6 GHz band, as promised by Chairman Ajit Pai (see 1806200058). “Dramatic increase in use of Wi-Fi without a meaningful increase in the midband spectrum available for Wi-Fi access has resulted in spectrum congestion that Wi-Fi Alliance only expects to worsen over time.” Alliance CEO Edgar Figueroa and others from the group met with Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel, aides to the other commissioners and Julius Knapp, chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology.

Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-chairs Reps. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Doris Matsui, D-Calif., urged the FCC Wednesday to proceed “expeditiously” to a planned NPRM on opening the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed uses. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said last month the FCC will act on a 6 GHz NPRM in the fall (see 1806200058). “Importantly, the NPRM process will allow all stakeholders to provide valuable input on the ex ante requirements necessary to protect incumbents, and give opportunity to evaluate proposals for interference protection, technical coexistence between users, and how to reliably resolve potential interference should it occur,” Guthrie and Matsui said in a letter to Pai. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., similarly urged the FCC last week to act on the 6 GHz band as part of its implementation of the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (Mobile Now) Act (S-19) (see 1807020055). S-19 requires the FCC and NTIA to identify at least 100 MHz of spectrum for unlicensed use below the 8 GHz band. S-19's language was included in the $1.3 trillion FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (HR-1625), which President Donald Trump signed in March (see 1803230038).

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., urged the FCC to act on implementing the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (Mobile Now) Act law, particularly opening up the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed uses. S-19 requires the FCC and NTIA to identify at least 100 MHz of spectrum for unlicensed use below the 8 GHz band. S-19's language was included in the $1.3 trillion FY 2018 omnibus spending bill (HR-1625), which President Donald Trump enacted in March. The band “has enormous potential to satisfy the unlicensed requirement,” Thune said in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Friday. “Forthcoming rollout of 5G will require even greater availability of both unlicensed and licensed spectrum to deliver a seamless gigabit experience to Americans.” Monday, the FCC didn't comment. Commissioners Mike O'Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel want quicker action to open up the band (see 1805240058).