SpaceX likely faces a tough challenge as it seeks easier access to the 2 GHz and 1.6/2.4 GHz spectrum bands, spectrum experts tell us. In a pair of FCC petitions last week, the company argued that in both cases the spectrum is underused and urged changes in the licensing and sharing frameworks to allow new entrants and coexistence.
Wireless Spectrum Auctions
The FCC manages and licenses the electromagnetic spectrum used by wireless, broadcast, satellite and other telecommunications services for government and commercial users. This activity includes organizing specific telecommunications modes to only use specific frequencies and maintaining the licensing systems for each frequency such that communications services and devices using different bands receive as little interference as possible.
What are spectrum auctions?
The FCC will periodically hold auctions of unused or newly available spectrum frequencies, in which potential licensees can bid to acquire the rights to use a specific frequency for a specific purpose. As an example, over the last few years the U.S. government has conducted periodic auctions of different GHz bands to support the growth of 5G services.
The FCC sought comment Tuesday on long-form applications from Quick Current to buy 2.5 GHz licenses in Iowa and Nebraska. Petitions to deny the applications are due no later than Feb. 23, oppositions March 1 and replies to oppositions March 8, said a notice from the Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics. Under the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act, enacted in December, the FCC can issue licenses won in the 2022 auction despite the expiration in March of its general spectrum auction authority (see 2312200061).
Wireless carriers are concerned and have many questions about the administration's processes for proposed studies under the national spectrum strategy that will examine the future of five bands as part of a possible spectrum pipeline, industry and government officials said. Carriers are most concerned about two bands, the lower 3 GHz and 7/8 GHz, which they see as possible spectrum for full-power licensed use. Meanwhile, USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter urged the leaders of the House and Senate Commerce committees Thursday night to reach a deal on legislation to “unite behind a national spectrum strategy” and reinstate the FCC’s lapsed auction authority.
EchoStar defended its proposals for deploying the lower 12 GHz band for fixed wireless against complaints from DirecTV (see 2401290038). “RKF Engineering has shown that Fixed 5G using the 12.2 GHz band can serve many tens of millions of households while fully protecting existing [satellite] customers,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 20-443. The band is “the only short-term opportunity on the horizon for new 5G spectrum: there is no easy resolution of the impasse that has prevented Congress from reauthorizing the Commission to conduct auctions, and the NTIA’s national spectrum strategy called for further study but did not identify bands that can be deployed immediately,” EchoStar said.
The approach to spectrum allocation on the Hill and in industry is maturing, which may explain in part the problems Congress is having as it considers renewing the FCC’s auction authority, experts said during a Technology Policy Institute webinar Wednesday. That authority largely lapsed in March (see 2312200061),
David Zumwalt, who became president of the Wireless ISP Association in June 2022, told us during an exclusive Communications Daily Q&A that the NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment program shouldn’t be used to inject artificial competition into markets that WISPA members already serve. WISPA has fought to have BEAD fund projects that rely partly on using unlicensed spectrum (see 2302090063).
The FCC Wireless Bureau Thursday granted 16 licenses to winning bidders in the 2022 2.5 GHz auction. Under the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act, enacted in December, the FCC can now issue licenses despite the expiration in March of its spectrum auction authority (see 2312200061). The licenses were awarded to Northern Valley Communications in South Dakota, Paladin Wireless in Georgia and SkyPacket Networks in Maryland and West Virginia.
The lower 3 GHz band, a top target for wireless carriers for reallocation for full-power licensed use, remains critical to DOD as well, DOD Chief Information Officer John Sherman said Thursday at NTIA's spectrum policy symposium. The band is one of five targeted for study in the national spectrum strategy (see 2311130048).
The FCC accepted long-form applications for filing from three bidders in the 2022 2.5 GHz auction, according to a Tuesday notice by the Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics. The three are Northern Valley Communications, Paladin Wireless and SkyPacket Networks. The agency asked for petitions to deny not later than Jan. 26, oppositions Feb. 2 and replies to oppositions Feb. 9. Under the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act, enacted in December, the FCC can issue licenses despite the expiration in March of its spectrum auction authority (see 2312200061).
The U.S. scored an important win for Wi-Fi at the recent World Radiocommunication Conference, beating back a move to harmonize the upper 6 GHz band for 5G, speakers said during a CES discussion of unlicensed spectrum late Thursday. Officials said restoration of FCC auction authority is critical, but when Congress will act remains uncertain.