NAB Questions CTIA Request for Protections for Wireless Broadband After Incentive Auction

CTIA ignores the importance of the FCC’s decision to no longer reserve two TV channels for wireless mics in the interest of making more spectrum available for wireless broadband, NAB said. “Wireless microphones, which are essential for covering breaking news and emergencies, lost access to 12 MHz of exclusive use spectrum to benefit wireless carriers and help ensure the auction's success,” the association said. The compromise was giving mics access to the duplex gap, NAB said: “The Commission should resist calls to upset this compromise in the name of providing superior interference protection from unlicensed and wireless microphones to LTE operations, which are already the beneficiaries of reduced spectrum for exclusive use by wireless microphones.”

NAB said it's sensitive to carriers’ desires to be able to deploy in the spectrum they buy as quickly as possible. “However, carriers should not be allowed to displace existing incumbent operations providing valuable service in their communities based solely on an empty notification that a carrier intends to commence some limited form of testing at some point,” the association said. NAB also said it opposes any request to reduce or eliminate the interservice interference analysis carriers must do before they have access to licenses they buy in the auction. “While NAB agrees that the auction procedures and rules should be as simple as possible to encourage broadcast and wireless participation, those rules must provide adequate protection for incumbent users,” broadcasters said.

But NAB agreed with other CTIA arguments, agreeing that FCC should make available new file formats and bidder packages well before the auction and the agency should hold one or more mock auctions prior to the beginning of the actual auction. NAB also supported CTIA's calls for a 10-day period between the reverse and forward auctions. “This allows a reasonable amount of time for forward auction bidders to evaluate post-reverse auction conditions,” NAB said. “Most importantly, it will also allow some time for parties to identify potential problems that may have occurred during the reverse auction process, especially with regard to repacking, before they become difficult or impossible to fix.”

Scott Bergmann, CTIA vice president-regulatory affairs, said the association is pleased NAB found some things to like in CTIA’s letter. The 600 MHz Incentive auction has to be attractive to both broadcasters and the wireless industry to be a success, Bergmann said. “That is why we focused on ensuring that the process is as clear, streamlined and predictable as possible, and that bidders who must make enormous capital investments have access to the spectrum purchased at auction on a timely basis without harmful interference, as contemplated by Congress,” he said.

Even in areas where NAB disagrees with CTIA there's common ground, Bergmann said. “We agree with NAB that unlicensed and wireless microphones should be free to operate in duplex gap and guard bands,” he said. “Our proposal simply sets forth the operating requirements needed to avoid harmful interference into the 600 MHz band based on real world conditions. We seek only the interference protection the statute promised, not 'superior' interference protection. Similarly, we do not object to ensuring 600 MHz wireless deployments do not cause interference to remaining broadcasters. We must be good neighbors with each other. Our proposal addresses finding the most sensible and streamlined manner in which that protection is established. For instance, when we modify an existing site and do not increase the service area, it is unnecessarily burdensome to require the same interference showings as a new site."