CBRS

Ruckus hopes the FCC will move soon to finalize approvals for devices that can use the 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service band, as well as approvals of the first spectrum access system (SAS) administrators and environmental sensing capability (EMC) operators, Dave Wright, director-regulatory affairs and network standards, told us. “There is a tremendous amount of existing investment, momentum and anticipation in the band,” Wright said in an email. “Any further delays risks stalling the ecosystem.” There have been reports of movement on rules for the band (see 1801020046). “Ruckus is encouraged by both the quantity and quality of the comments that have been submitted to this NPRM, especially considering that the filing deadline was between Christmas and New Year’s,” Wright said. New commenters “representing a variety of industries such as transport, energy, and rural providers” weighed in, he said. Comments on priority access licenses “echo the previous positions that had been taken,” but others “offered fresh thoughts on secondary market mechanisms (leasing and partitioning) and performance requirements,” he said. “We expect these ideas will receive additional attention in the reply phase.”

Wireless ISP Association officials met with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and staff on 3.5 GHz citizens broadband radio service spectrum. WISPA hopes the FCC will stick with small, census tract-sized priority access licenses (PALs) in the band. If the FCC adopts larger license sizes, and lengthy license terms, as proposed in an October NPRM (see 1710240050), only “a few large mobile wireless carriers” would bid for PALs, WISPA said. “Modifying the PAL rules in the manner proposed … would only benefit the mobile-carrier use case to the detriment of all other use cases.” Federated Wireless also reported on a series of meetings at the FCC on the CBRS band and the importance of quick FCC action on certifying spectrum access system administrators and environmental sensing capability operators in the band and completing the NPRM. CEO Iyad Tarazi and others from the company met with Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel and aides to the other commissioners. “Federated alone has conducted 30+ technical trials, and has a number of important field trials underway with Charter, Verizon, American Tower, and ARRIS/Ruckus Wireless,” said a filing in docket 17-258. “Federated supports the goal of concluding the NPRM proceeding by the end of Q1 2018. Federated emphasized the importance of resolving remaining CBRS issues in a manner that preserves access to CBRS spectrum for as many users -- and use cases -- as possible.”

Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee members adopted subcommittee findings on 5G (see 1711150019) and had some other tech updates at Friday's CSMAC meeting. Chief of Staff Glenn Reynolds of NTIA said his agency is "close" to having a new head, with the delay in the presidential signature on David Redl's confirmation paperwork (see 1711160043) perhaps due to President Donald Trump having been in Asia. Redl "could be on board any minute," Reynolds said. Associate NTIA administrator Paige Atkins said her agency is working with the FCC and DOD on a citizens broadband radio service rollout, including work toward standards and a certification process for the spectrum access systems (SAS) that would enable CBRS devices. She said the SAS certification process could start as early as March.

Commissioner Brendan Carr told a Competitive Carriers Association conference Thursday he has been tasked by Chairman Ajit Pai with overseeing the FCC’s push to overhaul the agency’s wireless infrastructure rules. Pai said the first of the wireless infrastructure items will get a vote at the Nov. 16 FCC meeting (see 1710260049). Carr's remarks were streamed from Fort Worth.

The FCC approved an NPRM Tuesday proposing to rewrite parts of rules for the shared 3.5 GHz band, over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn concurred rather than approve, saying she would have preferred the FCC left the rules as is. The votes were as predicted, with all three Republicans voting yes (see 1710180043). Both Democrats voted against the FCC allowing stations to host studios outside their communities of license (see 1710240062).

Partial economic area (PEA) or other larger license sizes would mean carriers are the only ones likely to buy priority access licenses (PALs) in the 3.5 GHz, Citizens Broadband Radio Service band, said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America, in a meeting with an aide to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Commissioners are to consider an NPRM proposing larger license sizes and other changes to the citizens broadband radio service rules at their Oct. 24 meeting, with Democrats skeptical of changes (see 1710120009). The Los Angeles PEA covers the entire metropolitan area, includes Riverside County and extends to the Nevada border, Calabrese said in a filing in docket 17-258. “It would be far easier for carriers to assemble larger contiguous areas by acquiring census tracts than it would be for hundreds or thousands of other potential users noted above to either win a PEA or county license at auction,” Calabrese said. “Subleasing small areas of spectrum from a big mobile carrier, through a secondary market transaction, is unrealistic both because of high transaction costs and because carriers have a disincentive to allow competitors with or substitutes for their services to access spectrum at a reasonable price.” The Wireless ISP Association, meanwhile, said the FCC should keep the current rules in place. A plan backed by Commissioner Mike O’Rielly “and the mobile industry would overturn pro-innovation rules adopted unanimously by the FCC -- twice -- in 2014 and 2015,” WISPA said in a Monday statement. “Dozens of companies are already making significant investments in the CBRS band, counting on the current rules.” WISPA also urged the FCC to approve the Broadband Access Coalition’s proposal for the 3.7-4.2 GHz band (see 1706210044). “Under mobile industry pressure, the FCC is prioritizing a much broader and more time-consuming review of multiple spectrum bands, which would lead to years of regulatory delay and no near-term progress for rural America,” WISPA said.

The 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service Band has the potential to become a key band for 5G, Preston Marshall, principal wireless architect at Google, said at the DC5G conference Wednesday. If the FCC allows smaller license sizes, hotels like the Renaissance Washington, where the event took place, can set up their own networks independent of the carriers, Marshall said. “We’ve never had that.”

Verizon, Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies and Federated Wireless said they were the first to demonstrate the successful use of LTE with carrier aggregation in the 3.5 GHz shared band. The demonstration was in an Ericsson lab in Plano, Texas, and offered “end-to-end” Citizens Broadband Radio Service communications “using 2x20 MHz LTE carriers on the CBRS band 48,” said a joint news release. "The use of CBRS spectrum greatly advances our work in emerging spectrum bands,” said Nicola Palmer, Verizon wireless chief network officer.

Google opposes proposed changes CTIA and T-Mobile sought to rules for the 3.5 GHz shared band, saying the FCC needs to keep its eye on stability. Verizon supported the CTIA petition over that of T-Mobile, consistent with its earlier stance (see 1706200081). Comments were due on the petitions Monday, and dozens filed in docket 12-354, as the FCC considers changes to rules for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service. Commissioner Mike O'Rielly discussed the rules Tuesday (see 1707250049).

Charter got a temporary license from the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology to run tests in the 3650-3700 MHz band. Tests are to start July 1 and run through the start of 2018, said a report posted by the FCC. The application's purpose is to test “a variety of experimental equipment,” the document said: “The testing will evaluate coverage, capacity, and propagation characteristics in the 3650-3700 MHz band. The proposed operations will advance Charter’s understanding of technology and network potential in the band and will advance deployment of fixed and mobile services.” Tests also will look at coexistence of devices in that band and in the FCC’s adjacent Citizens Broadband Radio Service band, said a filing by the cable ISP. It said it's working with Federated Wireless, one of coordinators in the CBRS band. The tests will take place in the Tampa, Florida area.