AT&T and CTIA urged that the FCC rethink citizens broadband radio service rules and questioned the band's success, filing reply comments to an August NPRM (see 2411070032). But most commenters said the FCC should only tweak the band. CBRS advocates largely defended the model as a sharing success story. Interest in the proceeding was strong, with more than two dozen reply comments posted as of Friday.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology on Thursday approved Extreme Networks’ request for a waiver of rules for low-power indoor (LPI) devices for 6 GHz access points (APs), to be installed exclusively in indoor sports venues. Extreme plans to use weatherized enclosures, which FCC rules prohibit. Extreme noted the APs will be installed under seats "where they are susceptible to being stepped on, kicked, and having food and drinks spilled on them." The waiver request proved controversial when the FCC took comment last year (see 2310170045). OET noted the “skyrocketing demand for data” at sporting venues. “Extreme’s access points will enable expanded Wi-Fi coverage at indoor sports venues, thereby providing fans access to full capacity, low latency, and high-quality Wi-Fi networks,” the order said. But to protect other 6 GHz users from harmful interference, OET also imposed conditions on the waiver. Among them is a requirement "that Extreme be responsible for manufacturing, distribution, and sales of the access points and ship these access points directly to the relevant venue,” OET said: “This waiver would not permit operations in any outdoor locations, such as the stands of the stadium with a retractable roof or any outdoor areas associated with an indoor stadium.” The waiver is also limited to professional teams' indoor stadiums and arenas or those with a seating capacity of more than 3,000 persons.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology approved on Thursday a waiver sought by the Wi-Fi Alliance allowing automated frequency coordination systems in the 6 GHz band to take building entry loss (BEL) into account for “composite” standard-power and low-power devices that are restricted to operating indoors. The FCC sought comment on the waiver request last year (see 2304060049). OET noted that it now has four waiver requests before it that are seeking the change. Allowing AFC systems “to consider BEL when determining channel availability will increase the operating power of the composite … access points when appropriate, thereby increasing their utility to consumers,” OET said: “The greater operating power will enable the access points to provide increased indoor coverage and/or provide higher data rates,” which “will expand the use of the 6 GHz band, thereby furthering the Commission’s goal of encouraging more efficient spectrum use.” OET is limiting the BEL AFC systems may use in their calculations “such that the risk of harmful interference occurring is not increased compared to operation under the Commission’s current rules,” the order said.

The FCC order allowing use of 17.3-17.7 GHz downlinks by non-geostationary orbit fixed satellite service satellites is effective Jan. 6, said a notice for Thursday's Federal Register. Commissioners approved the order 5-0 in September (see 2409270059).

ABI Research said the FCC should allocate more spectrum, including in the 7 GHz band, for Wi-Fi, and noted strong growth in use of the 6 GHz band reallocated for unlicensed use in 2020. Wi-Fi carries 82%-89% of mobile data traffic, said the report, released Tuesday: “Wi-Fi also supports a rapidly increasing volume and diversity of connected devices, and manages traffic from a more densely-arrayed set of devices.” ABI predicted that 6-GHz-enabled consumer devices shipped to North America will grow from 95 million today to an estimated 367 million in 2029. “Wi-Fi needs multiple 320 Megahertz channels to support the growing number of devices and high-performance applications, particularly in dense networking environments,” the report said. WifiForward said Wednesday that the report augments “a growing body of evidence highlighting an urgent need for more unlicensed spectrum.” It added, “The unlicensed spectrum of today will not be able to handle what consumers expect for the future: more devices that are more data intensive.”

In her last address at the annual FCBA dinner Tuesday, outgoing FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel zinged the Donald Trump administration, fellow commissioners and herself, among others. She's been asked since the November election whether she would try being funny at this year's dinner, Rosenworcel responded, "Why would I start now?" Speaking of her post-FCC activities, she quipped, "I have concepts of a plan." Rosenworcel told the "telecom prom" crowd of more than 1,300 she might become a social media influencer and that she just made a video showing herself unboxing 6 GHz devices. Having an "alternative facts" administration won’t be a big stretch for the FCC, she said, because “for years we called the 10th floor the 8th floor." She noted incoming Chairman Brendan Carr made countless media appearances to curry favor with the Trump administration, but, Rosenworcel said, “I think he’s going to regret the decision to buy a Cybertruck.” She added, "Say goodbye to fluoridated water, say hello to ivermectin for all." Rosenworcel continued, "Say goodbye to remote work, say hello to the new Chipotle" a block from FCC headquarters. She ended her remarks with thanks and kudos to the FCC staff.

A lawyer for Apple, Broadcom and Meta Platforms spoke with Ira Keltz, acting chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology, on tweaking a draft order that would allow the use of very-low-power (VLP) devices across the 6 GHz band. For example, the lawyer noted that the draft says a June report on interference risks assumed 2% of people were outdoors, but the report said 6%. Other suggested changes were mostly technical. “While some parties have asserted that mandatory firmware updates could have benefits, it is important to note that the Commission has never made this determination, and we agree with the Commission that the record does not support making that conclusion in this order,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 18-295. Commissioners will vote on the draft Dec. 11 (see 2411200050).

Tapped to lead the FCC during the second Trump administration (see 2411170001), FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is expected to be as aggressive as possible on spectrum and wireless siting issues, industry experts said. During President-elect Donald Trump's first administration, then-Chairman Ajit Pai made Carr lead commissioner on wireless siting.

The Utilities Technology Council supported not raising power levels for new very-low-power (VLP) devices across the 6 GHz band, the approach taken in an order teed up for an FCC commissioner vote on Dec. 11 (see 2411200050). UTC representatives met with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “Unlicensed operations in the 6 GHz band, including VLP, pose a significant potential of harmful interference to utility fixed microwave licensed systems, which in turn could compromise the safety, reliability and security of utility critical infrastructure and personnel,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 18-295. “UTC is concerned that higher power VLP operations would pose an even greater risk of causing harmful interference to utility fixed microwave licensed systems,” the filing said. The group also spoke with an aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks.

The Wireless Future Program at New America is calling on policymakers to take a harder look at rules for indoor-only use of spectrum bands, as the administration studies the future of the lower 3 and 7/8 GHz bands. Michael Calabrese, director of the program, said the group filed its report at the NTIA, at the agency's urging, as part of a multistakeholder review process last month and Monday released a public version. “The potential benefits of different rules for indoor-only use are becoming more evident,” the report said, noting the FCC’s 2020 decision to authorize low-power, indoor (LPI) use across the 6 GHz band. Incumbent licensees already are using the spectrum, including more than 50,000 high-power fixed microwave links, the report said: LPI use is limited “to roughly one-fourth the standard power of Wi-Fi, yet is considered extremely useful since the vast majority of internet data (including at least 80% of mobile device data traffic) is transmitted indoors and over Wi-Fi.” LPI in 6 GHz “highlights the potential to authorize indoor-only use in many other bands where users comply with power, device form factor, database coordination, or other technical requirements necessary to protect the primary licensees from harmful interference,” New America said. While LPI in 6 GHz is authorized under Part 15 of the commission’s rules, “LPI can be adopted as part of a licensed-by-rule framework or licensed exclusively to select categories of facilities (such as factories and schools),” the report said. It notes DOD concerns about sharing the lower 3 GHz band, which the military uses broadly. “Similarly, large portions of the 7 GHz band” are “currently used by sensitive military systems in the United States and in Europe (e.g., NATO operations in 7250–7750 MHz).” New America points to five frequency ranges that may be particularly suitable for LPI use: 3100–3450, 7125–7250, 7250–7750 and 2900–3100 MHZ, and 10–10.5 GHz. Of lower 3 GHz it says that “while a dynamic coordination system should enable DOD to share at least portions of the band for low-power use outdoors … a broader underlay authorization for LPI use should be considered as an option for this band.”