Carr Proposes Rule Changes for 6 GHz Band for Jan. 29 Vote
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Wednesday that the agency will vote at its Jan. 29 meeting on an order that increases the level at which 6 GHz devices can operate while seeking to protect incumbents through geofencing. A second order on the agenda would establish new attestation and disclosure requirements for holders of agency licenses and other approvals.
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Commissioners will also vote on an order that “codifies” foreign-ownership requirements and streamlines review processes, as well as a fourth item that examines how the FCC can “enhance the effectiveness and functional equivalency” of IP-based telecommunications relay services.
In comments last year, tech companies including Apple, Broadcom, Google, Intel, Meta Platforms and Qualcomm called for higher power levels in the 6 GHz band and development of a geofenced variable power (GVP) device class, while 6 GHz incumbents opposed any change in power levels (see 2404290035).
The FCC's new 6 GHz order is “really great news for America’s consumers and innovators,” Carr said Wednesday in a blog post. Consumers will “benefit from better, faster Wi-Fi and an entirely new generation of wireless devices [including] a range of innovative smart devices.” He also highlighted the advantages for virtual and artificial reality (AR/VR) devices and the IoT. The 6 GHz order “puts America back at the forefront of technological leadership, benefiting our consumers, economy, and innovators,” said Carr, who is scheduled to speak Thursday at CES in Las Vegas.
Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld said that while the details are important, he’s pleased to see Carr's “first major order” expanding unlicensed spectrum use in 6 GHz. The band “has not merely been important for Wi-Fi 6, it is critical for Wi-Fi 7, which requires larger channel sizes and therefore requires substantial contiguous spectrum,” Feld said in an email. If Carr “is serious about building America, it is essential that we have a pipeline for unlicensed spectrum as well as a pipeline for licensed spectrum.” At least the order should end efforts to reallocate 6 GHz licensed use, Feld said.
“Increasing the power levels for Wi-Fi connections to peripheral devices such as AR/VR is a big win for consumers long advocated by the Wi-Fi community,” said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at New America. It’s “even more promising” that Carr “appears willing to consider increasing the power levels for indoor-only Wi-Fi use,” Calabrese added. “It’s long been recognized that the indoor-only power limits are overly restrictive.”
With Wi-Fi carrying almost 90% of mobile data, “securing more unlicensed spectrum is essential to keep up with surging consumer demand, power emerging technologies, and ensure fast, reliable connections for homes, businesses, and communities nationwide,” NCTA said.
Foreign-Ownership Changes
The commission will also vote Jan. 29 on an order “establishing new attestation and disclosure requirements that enhance our ability to assess and protect the homeland against emerging national security threats,” Carr said in the blog. The proposed order “requires holders of certain Commission licenses, authorizations, and other approvals to report if they are owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary.”
The foreign-ownership item appears to stem from an NPRM (docket 25-149) on policies for broadcast, common carrier wireless and common carrier aeronautical licensees, which commissioners approved 4-0 in April.
That NPRM included proposals on codifying several existing FCC foreign-ownership practices, requiring identification of trusts and trustees, and clarifying U.S. residency requirements. It also sought comment on determining foreign-ownership considerations for low-power FM and noncommercial educational stations, processing broadcast foreign-ownership petitions and allowing privately held companies to use the same methods as U.S. public companies for establishing the level of foreign ownership when an entity’s interest holders are equity funds or other public companies.
“For more than a decade, the Commission has used certain practices to address increasingly complex ownership structures, but they have never been formally codified,” Carr wrote. “And while some foreign investment can pose national security risks, this action sets out clear, well‑defined rules to mitigate those risks while still supporting robust foreign investment.”
The telecommunications relay services NPRM on the agenda would modernize the service “by improving service quality, increasing efficiency, and eliminating outdated regulations,” Carr said. It comes after the commissioners approved another NPRM in November that asks about ways to streamline TRS provider certification (see 2511200047) and one in June that proposes to end the requirement that TRS providers support the now-obsolete ASCII transmission format (see 2506260030).