Federated Wireless and Comsearch notified the FCC they're launching portals for public tests of their 6 GHz automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems (see 2308300018), in letters posted Friday in docket 21-352. Federated said its portal will open Thursday. Comsearch promised a Sept. 8 opening.

Southern Co, told the FCC fade margins are critical to protecting 6 GHz operations, in response to questions from the Office of Engineering and Technology. “Unlicensed parties have consistently misunderstood the purpose of a fixed microwave system’s fade margin,” the utility said in a filing Thursday in docket 18-295: “In short, a microwave system is subject to fading due to changing conditions in the atmosphere. … Any reduction of the fade margin can significantly affect the performance and reliability of a fixed microwave link. Degradation of the fade margin that does not cause an immediate outage of the link would nevertheless be harmful interference because it makes the fixed microwave system more vulnerable to outage from fades that it could otherwise withstand.”

The FCC has all the information it needs to approve operation of very-low-power devices in the 6 GHz band, a tech company representative told an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The record demonstrates that [radio local access network] interactions with fixed Broadcast Auxiliary Service receivers were similar to interactions with [fixed service] receivers, but that fixed BAS receivers are typically located in even higher and less accessible locations than FS receivers,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295: “The risk of harmful interference to vehicle-mounted [electronic newsgathering] receivers was insignificant at power levels discussed in the record.” The filing was by HWG’s Paul Margie, counsel to Apple, Broadcom, Google and Meta Platforms.

Wireless carriers don't have much apparent interest in the 42 GHz band, to judge from comments posted Thursday in response to a June NPRM on potential sharing in the 42 GHz band. New America’s Open Technology Institute and Public Knowledge were enthusiastic about the possibilities. Comments were due Wednesday in docket 23-158.

Qualcomm and Broadcom notified the FCC they're opening portals for public tests of their 6 GHz automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems. The letters, posted Wednesday in docket 21-352, come less than a week after the Office of Engineering and Technology authorized a process for testing the systems (see 2308250061). Qualcomm, already approved as an AFC operator in Canada (see 2308230060), said its portal is already open. “The public can test Qualcomm’s AFC system by registering for a free account at the Public Trial Portal by clicking on the ‘REGISTER’ link,” Qualcomm said. Broadcom said its AFC portal will open Tuesday. The Wi-Fi Alliance told the FCC Wednesday its AFC system will be available for public trial via an internet-based test portal starting Sept. 6. The FCC had not yet posted the alliance's filing.

Groups representing incumbent licensees in the 6 GHz band, led by electric utilities, asked the FCC to seek comment on any revised rules for the band, “consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act,” before issuing an order as expected later this year (see 2308070060). “The Commission may not adopt rules which were not proposed” in the 2020 Further NPRM “or otherwise considered in this proceeding,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295: “Actual notice of any new rules must come from the Commission and not from monitoring comments in the record. Although the Commission may adopt rules that are the logical outgrowth of those that were proposed, it must provide fair and sufficient notice, including about the material components of such a rule.” The opportunity for comment is “particularly vital where, as here, the matter involves complex technical issues and a modification of the proposed rule results in a substantial change affecting the technical issues under consideration,” the groups said. The filing was signed by the Utilities Technology Council, the Edison Electric Institute, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, APCO and the Enterprise Wireless Alliance. AT&T also weighed in, raising concerns about very-low-power operations in the band, a focus of the FNPRM. Advocates “continue to assert as gospel various technical theories that are subject to considerable debate on the record, to urge the Commission to rely on their self-interested, curated summaries of simulations that remain unfiled and undocumented, and to extrapolate insignificant results to broad assertions of interference protection,” AT&T said: “In the face of substantial real-world testing demonstrating the potential for interference, the Commission should not rely on unfiled, untested, and undocumented assertions for decisions that could impact critical radio communications infrastructure.”

Representatives of the Open Technology Institute at New America and Public Knowledge spoke with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, urging the agency to complete work on issues raised in a 2020 Further NPRM on the 6 GHz band (see 2004230059). “We urged the Commission to finalize the two key issues that remain pending in the 6 GHz FNPRM in a robust way that avoids the risk of creating a new ‘Wi-Fi digital divide,’” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-295: “Both the authorization of Very Low Power (VLP) devices and higher power for indoor-only use (LPI) are particularly crucial for digital equity and inclusion, for continued U.S. leadership in next generation Wi-Fi, and for virtually all consumers, businesses and community anchor institutions.” The groups led a recent letter to Rosenworcel raising those concerns (see 2308030061). Southern Co. representatives, meanwhile, raised concerns in a call with an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington. “To the extent the Commission may be moving forward to expand unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band to include VLP operations, it must first put the details of its proposals out for public comment to receive necessary input and information from stakeholders and to comport with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act,” they said.

Public Knowledge supports FCC moves last week launching a process for testing the automated frequency coordination systems that will manage access to 6 GHz band spectrum by standard-power unlicensed devices (see 2308250061) and hopes for continuing progress, emailed Kathleen Burke, PK policy counsel. “The pending [6 GHz] order before the FCC has taken longer than expected,” she said: “We would rather the Commission take its time and get things right than rush ahead with compromises that would limit the opportunities this band has to offer.” PK hopes the commission will move forward on its proposed rules on low-power indoor and very-low-power operations “without adding cumbersome mitigation measures that would unnecessarily increase the cost of next-generation WiFi and VLP devices, potentially creating a WiFi digital divide,” Burke said.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology launched a process for testing the automated frequency coordination (AFC) systems that will manage access to 6 GHz band spectrum by standard-power unlicensed devices. The public notice came later than expected, with some experts saying last year they thought testing could be completed early this year (see 2211040055). Canada regulators approved Qualcomm last week as the first 6 GHz AFC operator there (see 2308230060).

The Utilities Technology Council asked the FCC to refrain from doing more to liberalize rules for the 6 GHz band, in a meeting with an aide to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC is reportedly moving closer to approving proposals in a 2020 Further NPRM (see 2308070060). “Numerous real-world studies submitted on the record in the proceeding have concluded that commercially available low power indoor devices authorized by the Commission and operating in accordance with the rules will cause harmful interference to licensed microwave systems that utilities, as well as public safety and other critical infrastructure entities use for mission critical communications,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 18-295: “Given the imminent threat of interference posed by these unlicensed operations, UTC and other incumbent stakeholder organizations have formally requested that the Commission develop new rules and issue a temporary stay.”