A 600 MHz mobile allocation and band plan relying on Time-Division Duplexing (TDD) technology offers “distinct advantages” for an incentive auction of broadcast TV spectrum, Sprint Nextel representatives said in a series of meetings at the FCC (http://bit.ly/Xmhybe). Sprint submitted its slide deck from the meeting discussing the advantages of TDD.

Dish Network backs the FCC’s proposed band plan for spectrum after the voluntary incentive auction of TV stations’ frequencies, following criticism of the plan by other auction stakeholders, said a company executive. NAB’s auction pointman said Monday that Dish is the only company to support the plan to put carriers’ uplink and downlink operations in different parts of the band around TV channels (CD March 19 p3). That plan “will create opportunities for competitive carriers and new entrants,” said Dish Deputy General Counsel Jeff Blum, by email. “The Commission’s band plan maximizes the amount of usable broadband spectrum, avoids excessive guard bands, appears to increase the potential for low-band paired spectrum, and leaves open the possibilities for future expansion and harmonization of the 600 MHz band."

Similar to the first comment round, reply comments on rules for an incentive auction of broadcast TV spectrum found deep divisions among almost 100 parties that weighed in. There has been general agreement that the FCC’s proposed band plan needs major revision (CD Jan 29 p1). But there has been little consensus on answers to many of the questions raised by the FCC in a Sept. 28 NPRM.

Several Senate Commerce Committee members want Congress to modernize rules that govern the communications market. From federal E-rate polices, to video regulations, lawmakers at Tuesday’s FCC oversight hearing said it’s time to take a hard look at what should be done to modernize the 20th century rules that govern the market now.

NAB proposed ways to help the FCC address coordination with Mexico and Canada in order to successfully repack stations near those borders as a result of the broadcast incentive auctions. A new agreement “is needed simply to permit mobile broadband operations in the 600 MHz band,” NAB said in its proposal. The five-point proposal is designed “to ultimately provide the FCC with a greater level of repacking flexibility in a reasonable timeframe,” it said.

Proponents of imposing an interoperability mandate for the lower 700 MHz band are working behind the scenes to quietly press for an order before Chairman Julius Genachowski leaves office. The FCC launched a rulemaking asking questions about interoperability in the lower 700 MHz band in March 2012 (CD March 22 p2). Small carriers emphasize they are only asking the FCC to “restore” interoperability for the band.

The FCC will look closely at interoperability and possible requirements that devices can be used across the spectrum that is sold in the pending incentive auction of broadcast TV spectrum, Wireless Bureau Chief Ruth Milkman said at a Minority Media and Telecommunications Council lunch Tuesday. Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake said sequestration, even if it kicks in “as widely expected” starting Friday, won’t slow FCC efforts to hold an incentive auction next year.

Cisco forecast major increases in mobile data traffic through 2017. Faster than previously projected increases in 4G adoption and Wi-Fi offloading bear watching, experts told us. Mobile data traffic will reach 134 exabytes per year -- 11.2 exabytes per month -- by the end of 2017, Cisco said Tuesday in a report. That would be 134 times the total Internet Protocol traffic generated in 2000. It would also be a gain from 2012, when consumers’ global mobile data traffic rose by 70 percent, Cisco said. Traffic reached 885 petabytes per month by the end of 2012 -- up from 520 petabytes per month at the end of 2011, said the maker of equipment for telecom firms to handle data. The monthly mobile data traffic in 2012 was nearly 12 times the total monthly Internet traffic generated in 2000 -- 75 petabytes per month, Cisco said. Global traffic will continue to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 66 percent through 2017, Cisco said. North America will see growth slightly below the global average -- at a 56 percent CAGR -- to 2 exabytes per month in 2017, Cisco said (http://xrl.us/bigzmr).

The FCC should prohibit wireless microphones and other low-power auxiliary service (LPAS) devices from all former TV spectrum that will be sold by the commission in the incentive auction, CTIA commented on a November public notice designed to update and refresh the record on wireless mics. “In 2010, the Commission concluded that wireless microphones and LPAS devices could interfere with commercial base and mobile receivers (and public safety) entering the 700 MHz band and determined that such devices must be cleared from the band,” said the group’s comment filing (http://xrl.us/boc4g3). “Among the lessons learned as part of the digital television transition, the Commission concluded that wireless microphones and other” LPAS “devices in the 700 MHz band ‘pose a significant threat of interference’ to new wireless services entering the band and mandated that such devices be cleared,” the association said. “The risk of interference found in the 700 MHz band applies equally to the 600 MHz spectrum.” The FCC also got comments in response to a notice of proposed rulemaking on proposed rules for an incentive auction of TV spectrum (See separate report above in this issue). The FCC’s proposal “including TV Band repacking, the creation of exclusive use guard bands, and an elimination of reserve channels” are among measures that “would cause significant harm to the wireless microphone community,” Shure said. Wireless mic makers already feel under siege, Shure said (http://xrl.us/boc4bo). “In assessing the impact of its new proposals, the Commission should be aware that the wireless microphone community is still struggling to absorb the significant costs and disruption of the White Spaces and 700 MHz band decisions and any actions that further impair their wireless microphone operations will cause substantial hardship.” Sennheiser said that at a minimum the FCC should leave in place the two TV channels now set aside for wireless mics. “The very high demands that professional users place on wireless microphones as to audio fidelity, reliability, and low latency effectively rule out their operation on frequencies much above or below the TV bands,” Sennheiser said (http://xrl.us/boc4ce). “Motion-picture production, from Hollywood blockbusters with nine-digit budgets down to student work at the local community college, relies heavily on wireless microphones for clear, accurate audio. Live events like outdoor concerts and Broadway productions need wireless microphones to reach the back row. Presenters in large auditoriums, lecture halls, and houses of worship find them indispensable.” The FCC needs to protect wireless mics from interference, the Broadway League said. “The technological reality is that, because of the low power and relatively isolated locations of wireless microphones in near proximity to paired receivers, they do not interfere with other users,” the league said (http://xrl.us/boc4cp). “However, because of the same factors of low power and location, it is easy for other users of the same spectrum to overpower wireless microphones.

The Consumer Electronics Association laid out a set of principles it said would help the FCC hold a successful incentive auction of broadcast TV spectrum. Google and Microsoft stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy chunk of the spectrum for unlicensed use. AT&T and Verizon countered small carrier arguments over who should be allowed to participate in the auction.