ACI Sees Spectrum Gains in Globalstar 2.4 GHz NPRM, Amid Calls for Interference Testing

As wireless service demand outpaces spectrum availability, more immediate steps need to be taken to expand wireless use, the report said. “Even as the FCC and Congress take steps to get more spectrum, today’s solutions only forestall issues of a spectrum shortage for another day.” The solution is to get as much licensed and unlicensed spectrum devoted to wireless broadband services by any reasonable means possible, it said. The Globalstar NPRM has potential to improve the efficiency of assigned spectrum, it said.

Making more efficient use of spectrum would allow offloading metered wireless traffic, minimizing wireless service congestion, said President Steve Pociask of ACI, which he said isn’t funded by Globalstar. It takes traffic from private networks and puts it onto unlicensed spectrum, he said. Repurposing Globalstar’s spectrum doesn’t tie up any additional spectrum that would have been used somewhere else, he said. “The spectrum has already been assigned,” he said. “As long as it doesn’t provide any sort of interference with the existing Wi-Fi bands, I think it’s a no-brainer."

The TLPS proposal seems to be a unique opportunity to grow Wi-Fi service, said Brattle Group economist Coleman Bazelon. From a policy perspective, it seems like low-hanging fruit, he said. Offloading from cellular networks is increasing and the proposal helps with meeting general broadband goals, he said. Because some devices already have filters to listen into this band, it’s a fairly simple task to extend the Wi-Fi into this band, he said.

Compared with other options before the FCC, like preparing for the broadcast incentive auction, holding an AWS-3 auction and finding ways for government to free up some of its own spectrum, the Globalstar NPRM can be a fairly quick solution, Pociask said. All options before the FCC are important, he said. Collectively, they'd make a sizable dent in the near term for the growing demand for wireless services, he said. Most Wi-Fi equipment already has access to Globalstar’s spectrum because it’s located in the 2.4 GHz band, which allows for a fairly quick implementation, he said. “It can be done in a matter of months.” Bazelon agreed other efforts would likely take longer to materialize. Some contention remains about the feasibility of producing guard bands in the 600 MHz auction, he said. Very few deployments have taken place in the TV white space, he said. “Those bands require new equipment and infrastructure to make that spectrum useful."

Fletcher Heald attorney Frank Jazzo agreed there’s potential for speedier deployment. The incentive auction has some time frames, but there’s still uncertainty due to court challenges, he said, referring to NAB and Sinclair challenges of auction rules (CD Aug 19 p1) (CD Sept 19 p12). The TV band repacking in connection with the incentive auction is slated to take about three years, he said. “We've seen these efforts to make this hybrid terrestrial satellite use of the mobile satellite space, and the FCC has shown that it’s interested in creative ways of expanding spectrum for wireless broadband."

The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association supports the concept of using some spectrum for terrestrial application, but is concerned about the testing of interference into adjacent Wi-Fi frequencies, said WISPA Vice President Alex Phillips. There hasn’t been any adequate testing to see if there’s going to be any interference, he said. Leveraging an existing chipset and shifting it to an existing frequency is “kind of a good idea,” but there could be a negative impact on operators that use that spectrum now, he said. While Globalstar’s intentions are good, other spectrum can be leveraged for terrestrial use, he said. “There is spectrum that carriers have, but aren’t using.” The 5.9 GHz from automakers and the 3.5 GHz for the military’s coastal radar systems also could be put to better use, Phillips said.

The ACI report seems merely to support TV white spaces and efforts to modify rules for the 3.5 GHz and 5 GHz bands, said Harold Feld, Public Knowledge senior vice president. It’s not clear how Globalstar will make its business model work for TLPS, and the report doesn’t address what’s holding up the NPRM, he said. The biggest holdup has been that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi users in the 2.4 GHz band have been concerned about potential interference, he said. Globalstar has elected not to do anything about those concerns, which makes it very difficult for the commission to move forward on the NPRM, he said. The FCC doesn’t have to approve it, he said.

Globalstar completed testing last year with Jarvinian Venture Fund aimed at demonstrating how quickly TLPS can be deployed (CD June 11/13 p17).

The demand for wireless services can be met in the near term by allowing deployment of unlicensed spectrum, Phillips said. Unlicensed operators are able to deploy faster and more cost effectively in rural areas, he said. The FCC should maintain that TV white space in an unlicensed fashion to allow wireless companies to leverage those assets, he said.