FCC's O'Rielly Questions Viability of World Radiocommunication Conference

raise real questions about the viability of the entire process, FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said Friday in a blog post. O’Rielly, who spent most of the opening week in Geneva at WRC (see 1511050041), praised the efforts of the U.S. delegation under Decker Anstrom. “For a number of reasons, other countries prevented a global 600 MHz allocation, even going so far as trying to block any discussion of the band at WRC-15,” O’Rielly said. “They also barred the 28 GHz band from inclusion in the 5G feasibility studies. It is incomprehensible that even doing studies should be a non-starter or off the table. Science should dictate the efficient allocation of spectrum, not politics or international protectionism.” Making matters worse in the 600 MHz band was a decision that individual nations could support a mobile allocation in the 600 MHz band through a footnote only upon the approval of neighboring countries, he said. “Ultimately, this de facto veto power led to a domino effect of countries blocking other countries at the end of the conference,” he said. “Therefore, many governments that supported the U.S. position were forced to sit on the sidelines.” O’Rielly said the failures of WRC-15 raise big questions about the ITU and the entire process. “There is a real possibility” that some of the practices at the WRC “undermined the value of future WRCs and increased the risk that the ITU will become a tool for governments and incumbent spectrum users to halt spectral efficiency and technological progress,” he wrote. “Global spectrum harmonization for future services will be difficult, if not impossible, or, at a minimum, be years behind innovation if such practices are allowed to occur.” O'Rielly "raises some important and legitimate concerns," an administration official said in response to the blog post. "Important progress was made, however, at WRC-15 for the future use of 470-698 MHz for mobile broadband, helped by Commissioner O'Rielly's very effective advocacy. In the Americas, the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia and some Caribbean countries will move ahead, with no restrictions." The debate also revealed, as O'Rielly noted, that "many other countries supported the U.S. position and are clearly interested in using this band for mobile, particularly once they finish their digital transitions," the official said. "Much like the movement that started in 2007 and culminated at WRC-15 to globally harmonize the 700 MHz and 3400-3700 MHz bands for mobile broadband, WRC-15 has stimulated a similar process that will occur over the next decade for the lower UHF bands."