Most Replies Support 900 MHz Realignment, Though Concerns Remain
Electric utilities have a mixed take on a proposal to reconfigure the 900 MHz band to allow for broadband, the Utilities Technology Council replied. Commissioners approved the NPRM in March, before that month's FCC meeting (see 1903130062). In initial comments last month, the plan got mixed reviews (see 1906050040), with the Association of American Railroads and others raising concerns. Replies were posted through Wednesday in docket 17-200.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
“Utility comments on the record are divided between support for and opposition to the 900 MHz realignment,” UTC said: “Some utilities that support realignment of the 900 MHz band would also prefer that the Commission provide access to broadband spectrum in another band. All utilities that support the realignment of the 900 MHz band agree that narrowband systems also must be protected against interference.”
The New York Power Authority supported realignment. It would give utilities "a secure, reliable and scalable private LTE broadband network, and respectfully urges the Commission to move expeditiously to facilitate the retuning and clearing of this band so that the potential benefits of this broadband option become available to NYPA and similarly situated entities,” the authority said.
Southern California Edison said big utilities in particular have a “pressing need” for secure wireless broadband. “This need is currently most intense for utilities with both very large service areas, large numbers of subscribers, and exposure to environmental hazards such as wildfires, hurricanes and other extreme weather conditions,” the utility said: “It is the largest utilities like SCE that have the greatest immediate need for dedicated spectrum not only to manage day to day operations and monitor complex and far-flung networks, but also to implement mechanisms that can immediately detect and remediate system failures.” Southern Co. said commercial offerings from carriers “are not an effective alternative to a broadband allocation in the 900 MHz band.”
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association supports the change, with the caveat that narrowband incumbents be protected from harmful interference. “As the Commission is aware, there is a shortage of broadband spectrum available for use by the Critical Infrastructure Industry, particularly for higher speed point-to-multipoint data applications,” the group said: “That shortage is particularly acute in the rural areas served by NRECA’s members.”
Anterix, formerly pdvWireless, which has been asking for the change since 2014 in combination with the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (see 1708160059), urged expeditious action: “While many industries in this country are eager for access to private broadband capability, two mutually reinforcing factors have made it an existential necessity for the electric utility community: the need to modernize the grid to prevent cascading power outages and the need to shield the grid from cybersecurity attacks. The record in this proceeding is extensive and fully supports adopting rules consistent with the Commission’s proposal to create a 900 MHz broadband option.”
EWA said the spectrum should be available to more than just utilities and others in the critical infrastructure industry (CII). EWA cited United Parcel Service, which it said operates the 10th-largest airline. “Airlines as a category are not classified as CII, while not-for-profit auto emergency services are,” the alliance said: “This delineation is neither sensible nor in the public interest.”
Caesars Entertainment uses 900 MHz spectrum to communicate, saying most initial commenters support the proposal. Caesars asked the FCC “not to take any action that would jeopardize the ability of incumbent licensees to use their licenses or receive full reimbursement for costs associated with the relocation of licensed frequencies.”