FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released a compilation of comments Wednesday supporting his proposal for converting 280 MHz of C band spectrum to 5G through an auction later this year. Whether the order will include aggregation limits is emerging as a key issue on the eighth floor at the FCC. FCC Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks both appear to favor some limits, while Commissioner Mike O’Rielly is a hard no, industry and FCC officials told us.
The FCC is likely to face a variety of suggested changes to its C-band clearing and auction order on the February agenda (see 2002050057), including arguments for limits on spectrum aggregation and trying to ensure earth station repacking isn't done in a slapdash fashion, we are told. Chairman Ajit Pai has support of the two Republican commissioners. Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel, a critic of the band plan, is seen as a likely no vote, but fellow Democrat Commissioner Geoffrey Starks may be undecided.
After a few years of some stakeholders seeking one, a field hearing will be held in Puerto Rico that involves the FCC. A commissioner, not the agency itself, will host it, we were told.
With 24 nations globally doing midband auctions to support 5G deployments, the U.S. needs to look beyond the C-band and citizens broadband radio service auctions to other means of freeing up midband for 5G, CTIA President Meredith Baker told FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel, according to docket 18-122 ex parte postings (see here and here) Monday. The steps should include issuing a further notice on licensing the upper portion of the 6 GHz band and a notice proposing to remove existing nonfederal allocations in the 3300-3550 MHz band, it said.
With 24 nations globally doing midband auctions to support 5G deployments, the U.S. needs to look beyond the C-band and citizens broadband radio service auctions to other means of freeing up midband for 5G, CTIA President Meredith Baker told FCC Commissioners Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel, according to docket 18-122 ex parte postings (see here and here) Monday. The steps should include issuing a further notice on licensing the upper portion of the 6 GHz band and a notice proposing to remove existing nonfederal allocations in the 3300-3550 MHz band, it said.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed accelerated relocation payments of up to $9.7 billion for C-band incumbents to clear the band quickly for an auction to start Dec. 8, in a speech (see 2002060031) Thursday at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Those would be above compensation for relocation costs, estimated to be between $3 billion and $5 billion, he said. Pai has the three votes he needs for approval at the commissioners' Feb. 28 meeting (see 2002060048) with quick endorsements of Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Brendan Carr.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC Enforcement Bureau completed an investigation of whether carriers violated federal law by disclosing consumers’ real-time location data (see 2001310041). One or more enforcement actions will be announced in coming days. Pai announced the probe's conclusion Friday in a letter responding to a November query from House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey, House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and other committee Democrats (see 1911080051). The agency declined other comment.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC Enforcement Bureau completed an investigation of whether carriers violated federal law by disclosing consumers’ real-time location data (see 2001310041). One or more enforcement actions will be announced in coming days. Pai announced the probe's conclusion Friday in a letter responding to a November query from House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey, House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and other committee Democrats (see 1911080051). The agency declined other comment.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai appears to be preparing to play C-band hardball, officials indicated. Pai is considering a proposal that satellite operators be given incentive payments totaling about $5 billion to move, regardless of how much money comes in through an auction (see 2001280063). Senior aide Nick Degani apparently told the companies in a meeting last week that if they won’t go along the FCC could “sunset” their licenses, forcing them off the band. Intelsat stock closed down 30 percent Wednesday at $3.78.
The FCC plans to prioritize bids for high-speed, low-latency broadband networks in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, said a draft rulemaking for docket 19-126 released Thursday. RDOF is one of several items that circulated from Chairman Ajit Pai. So far, it's shaping up to be the most watched item, and legislators expressed some related concerns.