CBRS

Commissioners approved 4-0 an item that moves the agency closer to a 3.45-3.55 GHz 5G auction starting in early October. A notice proposes a standard FCC auction, similar to the C-band auction, rather than one based on sharing and rules similar to those in the citizens broadband radio service band. The draft public notice got several tweaks, as expected, including offering 10 MHz rather than 20 MHz blocks, but keeps larger partial economic area-sized licenses (see 2103150052). Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington concurred on parts of the order because of lingering concerns.

Aides to the other three commissioners have been working with the office of acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Monday on possible changes to a public notice proposing rules for an October auction in the 3.45 GHz band, said FCC and industry officials. The order is expected to be approved 4-0. It could get a few tweaks from the draft, officials said. They expected discussions to continue Tuesday.

The FCC OK'd priority access licenses for 222 of the 255 bidders in the citizens broadband radio service auction. The approved long-form applications cover 17,450 licenses, the FCC said Friday. The auction ended in August with total bids of $4.59 billion (see 2008260055). Verizon and major cable operators dominated, and Dish Network came in big (see 2009020057). Long-form applications were due Sept. 17. “Five years ago, this agency recognized that our traditional spectrum auctions needed an update -- and that the 3.5 GHz band was the perfect place to start,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel: “We continue to make progress in implementing the 3.5 GHz band concept and further demonstrate US leadership in spectrum innovation.”

With FCC commissioners set to vote Wednesday on a proposing rules for the 3.45 GHz auction, analysts said the spectrum sale won't likely drive numbers anywhere near the $81.2 billion, plus roughly $13 billion in accelerated clearing payments, seen in the C-band auction. Verizon and AT&T are stretched thin after that auction. And 3.45 GHz is expected to offer carriers at most 40 MHz each, based on aggregation rules limiting bidding. The auction must raise at least $14.8 billion to pay for clearance of the band, which isn't expected to be a problem.

Executives defended Verizon’s decision to go big in the C-band auction during an investor day presentation Wednesday. They pegged the total buy at $52.9 billion, including clearing costs. Verizon has been trying to add midband to counter T-Mobile, with its extensive 2.5 GHz holdings (see 2102250046). AT&T, the second-biggest bidder, has an analyst day Friday.

T-Mobile and AT&T countered Dish Network arguments on FCC rule changes for a 3.45 GHz auction (see 2103090034), aligning them more closely with citizens broadband radio service rules. Filings were posted Thursday in docket 19-348. Others also made arguments before Wednesday’s sunshine notice. T-Mobile cited “DISH’s history of enriching itself while delaying the deployment of spectrum and services.” Dish proposes changes “that would limit competition in the auction for that spectrum and … relax the proposed build out requirements in a way that would delay deployment,” T-Mobile said. The proposal “would enable DISH to acquire the spectrum at artificially depressed prices without any legitimate justification or demonstrated ability to put it to prompt use,” AT&T said. AT&T supported Dish arguments in favor of a “coherent spectrum-aggregation policy,” saying “every provider needs nationwide mid-band spectrum in large contiguous blocks to compete effectively.” Dish didn’t comment. OnGo Alliance representatives raised concerns about interference for CBRS band users, in calls with aides to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Nathan Simington. They discussed problems for CBRS environmental sensing capability providers from “uncoordinated” 3.45 GHz operations and the need for “coordination rules,” the group said. ARRL, which represents amateur radio operators, urged the FCC to allow amateurs to continue using 3.3-3.5 GHz, in calls with commissioner aides and staff from the Wireless Bureau, Office of Engineering and Technology and Office of Economics and Analytics. “Amateurs have applied their technical expertise -- much of it acquired through self-training -- to use the bits and pieces of spectrum in the 3400 MHz band that are not used by the primary operators,” the group said. Ericsson urged rethinking the proposed two-step out-of-band emission limit, in calls with Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Bureau staff. “It would force the development of unique, U.S.-only products for the 3.45 GHz band, and would preclude use of globally harmonized … base station equipment,” the company said. “Extending elements of the CBRS framework is the best way to make the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available to a wider variety of users and use cases,” the Open Technology Institute at New America told Rosenworcel aides.

Citizens broadband radio service band use is accelerating, and Verizon is using the band in 70 metropolitan areas, RootMetrics reported Thursday, detecting no use by AT&T or T-Mobile. “CBRS spectrum will play an important role in the mobile network marketplace, boosting capacity for both 4G LTE and 5G networks in highly populated areas,” RootMetrics said. Main uses are for wireless capacity in urban markets, rural fixed broadband and private wireless networks, the report said.

The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance wants changes to draft 3.45 GHz auction rules that stress the importance of sharing, similar to those for the citizens broadband radio service band. CTIA urged the FCC to adopt the draft order and NPRM, with flexible-use licensees and "standard-power commercial use of the band.” Lobbying continued, with a vote scheduled for March 17 (see 2103090034). Filings were posted Wednesday in docket 19-348. “Adopt rules similar to the C-Band rules,” DSA said, suggesting as language to be added: “Nevertheless, we recognize the value of frameworks that foster innovation and opportunistic use, such as the CBRS rules, and we therefore commit to finding opportunities to adopt the CBRS framework elsewhere in the 3 GHz band.” The FCC proposes “an effective coordination regime modeled after the AWS-3 framework to facilitate coordination between new flexible-use licensees and incumbent federal operations, and it correctly avoids adding unnecessary complexity to 5G buildout by declining, for example, to authorize a use-or-share framework,” said CTIA and representatives from AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular and Verizon, in calls with aides to all four commissioners. CTIA also sought tweaks. The association said the proposed two-step out-of-band emissions limit “would be unique to the 3.45 GHz band and to the United States, thereby requiring development of a radio specific to this band and risking slowing production and deployment.” CTIA urged instead "a -13dBm/MHz OOBE limit at the channel edge, which has proven successful in promoting deployment while protecting adjacent incumbents.” Executives from Comcast's NBCUniversal and Nexstar said the order correctly gives the five incumbent S-band digital Doppler weather radars “180 days to transition to the 2.9-3.0 GHz band after grant of new flexible-use Licenses,” which allows time “to procure, install, and test the new equipment necessary.”

Lobbying intensified before an expected Wednesday sunshine notice on what model FCC members should approve March 17 for auctioning frequencies at 3.45 GHz, filings showed. Cable and satellite stakeholders were among those seeking changes to the auction draft rules so that bidding resembles that used in bidding for citizens broadband radio service airwaves. Others seek for the regulator to stick with the C-band auction approach, which is what the original draft that recently circulated would do.

The FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology certified Key Bridge Wireless Tuesday as a spectrum access system administrator in the citizens broadband radio service band, the sixth SAS approved in the 3.5 GHz band. “We are making history with this innovative band,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.