Sensing technology could help ensure there is no interference to Department of Defense radars if the 3.5 GHz band is reallocated for small cell and other use, Shared Spectrum Co. said in reply comments filed at the FCC responding to a December NPRM. “In short, the proper deployment of state-of-the-art sensing technologies -- particularly in combination with a database -- has essentially universal support,” the company said (http://bit.ly/YaBj0G). “SSC pointed out in its comments that once standards are developed for a sensing-only approach, and the technology is integrated into consumer devices, sensing alone will be the best approach to maximizing use of the spectrum without threatening incumbent users.” Qualcomm said the 3.5 GHz band should be reallocated for licensed operations, supported by authorized shared access. “As the Commission has repeatedly acknowledged, vast amounts of additional mobile broadband spectrum is needed to support the rapidly growing demand for mobile broadband capacity,” Qualcomm said (http://bit.ly/10Qey2t). “First and foremost, the FCC needs to take all steps possible to bring on line, as soon as possible, spectrum that can be completely cleared of incumbents in a reasonable time frame; this includes the 600 MHz band currently occupied by TV broadcasters that is being repurposed via the incentive auction process. Second, it is important that the Commission allocate additional unlicensed spectrum, as the agency proposes in the recently released 5 GHz Band NPRM, that can support offloading from licensed bands in situations where a highly reliable quality of service and full mobility may not be necessary and where there is much wider bandwidth to support higher data rates."

Bridging the rural communications gap has been complicated by uncertainty created by some FCC policies, said stakeholders at a Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing Tuesday. The hearing was the first of the subcommittee’s investigation into the state of the nation’s communications policy, and the first held by it’s new Chairman Mark Pryor, D-Ark. Subcommittee staffers said the panel will also seek to investigate the state of wireless communications and the state of video in future hearings.

The FCC scheduled a workshop May 3 to talk about one big issue tied to an incentive auction of broadcast TV spectrum: The 600 MHz band plan the agency will create tied to the auction. The agency said the workshop will look at the “technical aspects” of the plan (http://bit.ly/10BKXtC). The commission’s proposed preferred band plan was widely criticized in comments filed on auction rules (CD Jan 29 p1).

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.