No Surprises Seen in FCC's 5.9 GHz Record Refresh
The FCC’s record-refresh public notice in docket 13-49 on the 5.9 GHz band generally asks the questions the agency was expected to ask, officials on both sides said Thursday. Fundamental disagreements remain about how the band can be shared between Wi-Fi and dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) systems designed to prevent motor vehicle accidents (see 1605260059).
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The PN asks about the two main proposals for the band. Qualcomm and Wi-Fi advocates are urging the FCC to rechannelize the 75 MHz 5.9 GHz band, with 30 MHz at the top divided into three safety channels that would be off-limits to unlicensed devices. Cisco, working with automakers, has urged a "detect and avoid" approach that would leave the band intact (see 1604280043).
“We now seek comment on the merits of these two approaches. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach?” the PN asks. “Would one approach be better than the other (e.g., minimize the risks of interference to DSRC more effectively while providing a comparable degree of meaningful access to spectrum for unlicensed devices)? For either approach, is it necessary for the Commission to specify all the details of the interference avoidance mechanism in the FCC rules or can this be addressed by relying primarily on industry standards bodies to develop the specific sharing methods?” The PN also asks if changing the channel plan would require re-testing DSRC “and, if so, precisely what would need to be done, why, and in what timeframe?”
The July 30 and January 15 deadlines for prototypes and the completion of FCC-led testing “are perhaps the most important part of the public notice,” said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future program at New America. “The auto industry has been squatting on this spectrum for more than 15 years without deploying anything,” Calabrese told us. “Testing should focus first and foremost on auto safety and determine exactly how much of the 75 MHz band is needed if Department of Transportation ultimately mandates vehicle-to-vehicle safety signaling. Aside from real-time safety applications, sharing between Wi-Fi and DSRC non-safety applications is an easier and less pressing concern."
The Alliance of Automobile Manufactures said in a statement it will continue to work with the FCC, the DOT and NTIA in evaluating potential sharing solutions for the band, while ensuring that automotive safety systems are protected from harmful interference. “Automakers believe that the … ‘detect and avoid’ approach is the best path forward when evaluating how to allow other stakeholders access to this spectrum for Wi-Fi purposes. Automakers have always been open to sharing the band so long as it can be done without interference and it puts roadway safety first. As the testing process moves forward, we urge the FCC, NTIA and the Administration to take into consideration all the lifesaving benefits this technology offers.”
The PN appears to contain no surprises, said Mary Brown, Cisco senior director-government affairs. “It looks to be as promised by the FCC,” she said. “They had described the questions and told us there would be a date for prototypes, although we didn’t have specifics.”
“Unlicensed use of the 5.9 GHz band is important for advancing consumer services and innovation, and we are certain the FCC can achieve a win-win solution that accommodates all stakeholders,” Scott Belcher, CEO of the Telecommunications Industry Association, said Thursday in a statement. “We will continue to work with the Commission and urge them to act expeditiously to finalize rules that bring certainty to the use of this spectrum.”