NPRM on 1675-1680 MHz Band Raises Some Concerns, Likely to Be Easily Approved at FCC
An NPRM reallocating the 1675-1680 MHz band, teed up for a vote at next week’s FCC meeting (see 1904170049), isn't expected to face opposition from any commissioners. Late questions have emerged, agency and industry officials said Thursday. Ligado sought a few tweaks. It wants the regulator to seek comment on a national license for the band, rather than partial economic area licenses.
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The satellite company has been making the case to regulators that by addressing its concerns, the FCC could get greenfield mid-band spectrum in play for 5G faster than in any other way and much faster than the C band.
The general sense at the FCC is the NPRM likely will sail through, with few questions because it's a small amount of spectrum and just an NPRM. The draft NPRM mentions Ligado -- in a footnote.
Ligado wrapped up a series of FCC eighth-floor meetings on the NPRM Thursday, industry and agency officials said. Weather companies, like AccuWeather, which tap in to data transmitted in the band from weather satellites to NOAA, comprise the other main group that has been at the agency on the matter. These groups have yet to file on their meetings in docket 19-116. AccuWeather didn't comment.
Ligado plans to combine the spectrum with 1670-1675 MHz spectrum owned by Crown Castle but already leased to Ligado, a company official said. Together, the spectrum would be paired with 1526-1536 MHz, offering two paired 10 MHz licenses.
Ligado reported on various meetings at the FCC, in docket 11-109, including with aides to Commissioners Mike O’Rielly, Brendan Carr, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks. The 1675-1680 MHz band “can be shared and NOAA’s operations fully protected,” Ligado said in one filing. “Lower mid-band spectrum plays a critical and complementary role in 5G.” The firm called the band an “essential component of the plan to make 40 megahertz of lower mid-band spectrum available for 5G services.”
The Canadian government's meteorological service raised concerns in a filing posted Thursday in docket 19-116. The NPRM proposes to protect NOAA’s operations. “Given the critical role that GOES [geostationary operational environmental satellites] data play in the production of accurate weather forecasts and warnings and the resulting impact on public safety, as well as the vulnerability and latency of terrestrial lnternet based data delivery from federal US ground stations (particularly during catastrophic events),” the Meteorological Service of Canada “wishes that the FCC and US Administration does not modify the current US table of allocations to re-allocate or share the 1675-1680 MHz band for non-federal fixed or mobile services.”