FCC Document Written for WRC Should Wait for Decision on 600 MHz Band Plan, NAB Says
With the FCC still developing a band plan for the 600 MHz band, the FCC forwarded a proposal for the next World Radiocommunication Conference that would open much of the 460-890 MHz band for both mobile broadband and broadcasting. Broadcasters in particular question how the FCC can recommend that the entire broadcast band should be reclassified as suitable for other use, especially with commissioners yet to approve a band plan for 600 MHz spectrum.
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"Unless I am mistaken, this is a question at the heart of an ongoing rulemaking at the commission,” said NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton. “It is flabbergasting that the FCC would make a proposal based on an issue that at least we thought was unsettled. But perhaps that tells us all we need to know about where things are headed from the staff perspective."
The proposal was submitted to Informal Working Group (IWG) 2 by Alex Roytblat of the FCC International Bureau and discussed at a June meeting of the working group, which is charged with helping develop a U.S. position on terrestrial services prior to the next WRC in 2015. The proposal, a copy of which was given to Communications Daily, said the U.S. position should be that the WRC reclassify the entire 470 to 862 MHz band as suitable for mobile service on a co-primary basis.
The submission was discussed during a June 12 conference call by members of IWG 2, industry officials said. After questions arose on the call about whether it would be more properly submitted by industry rather than the FCC, it was adopted by Amy Sanders of Alcatel Lucent, a participant in the working group.
"The 470-806/862 MHz frequency range is allocated to the broadcasting service on a primary basis in all three Regions and used predominantly for the delivery of broadcast television,” the document said. “Recognizing the growing need for mobile spectrum 470-806/862 MHz frequency range and different national priorities among the member states for the UHF broadcasting, it is necessary for WRC-15 to adopt a regulatory solution that would: (a) Enable administrations to preserve broadcasting and other services in the UHF range and, (b) Allow administrations flexibility to address the mobile spectrum shortage consistent with their domestic requirements."
Charles Rush, chairman of IWG 2 and chief technology officer at Telecommunications Management Group, said the position paper is consistent with the preliminary view (http://fcc.us/1aJAlT3) submitted by the U.S. last year at a meeting of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). “The draft proposal under consideration does not seek to ‘reclassify’ the band, but rather proposes an additional allocation for the mobile service on a primary basis without changing any of the other allocations in the 470-806/862 MHz band in Article 5 of the international Radio Regulations table of Frequency Allocations,” Rush said. “Adding a primary mobile allocation in the band would provide the United States and other countries the flexibility to introduce mobile services in portions of the band as is being considered in the FCC domestic activities.”