WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2024 – Wireless carriers and the cable industry are at odds over how the U.S. should approach spectrum sharing at the next World Wireless Communications Conference.
That meeting won’t take place until 2027, but the Federal Communications Commission has already begun hearing comments on the preliminary position put forward by the WRC Advisory Committee last month.
Regarding investigating the feasibility of deploying mobile networks in the 7/8 GHz bands currently used by the U.S. federal government, the advisory group was generally in favor of: Global Agreement It plans to do so in 2023. The band is also a focus of the Biden administration’s spectrum strategy, which calls for studying the possibility of reusing some government bands.
The group consists of two Potential Views The US could present to WRC 2027 as “Alternative 1” its full support for such research, and as “Alternative 2” the same language plus support for dynamic spectrum sharing in the bands where feasible to protect incumbents.
Wireless Carriers Like AT&T Apple and T-Mobile have said they prefer exclusive licenses for their own use rather than a shared model that would allow multiple users to coexist in the spectrum without interference, and they asked the FCC to reflect that in its international proposals.
“The U.S. commercial mobile wireless ecosystem is built on the availability of licensed and dedicated spectrum, and we must pursue that option when available.” T-Mobile wrote:.
Carriers have consistently cited a commissioned report which said wireless operators in the country will need an additional 400 MHz of licensed mid-band spectrum by 2028 to meet growing demand.
“As a nation, we need to identify mid-band spectrum for licensed, full-power commercial wireless services. Failure to do so risks undermining American wireless leadership, foreclosing economic opportunities, and destabilizing U.S. national security interests.” Verizon writes:.
The FCC’s authority to auction spectrum for commercial use expired in March 2023. Legislation to restore that authority has so far been stalled due to other policy differences, such as how or whether to allocate the proceeds from future auctions.
The cable industry uses some of the Citizens Broadband Wireless Service’s shared spectrum to provide fixed and mobile broadband. Claimed The advisory group’s second recommendation: Companies may provide their services through contracts with major wireless carriers.
The conference’s endorsement of a dynamic spectrum sharing framework “will encourage American innovators to compete in the global marketplace and demonstrate the U.S. government’s support, [Inter-American Telecommunication Commission] “It provides a clear and accurate picture of the current status of U.S. deliberations regarding the 7/8 GHz bands,” said the industry-representative NCTA (Internet and Television Association). Major lobbying groups.
The agency said it would use the comments it received to help inform its coordination with the State Department and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration ahead of WRC-27.
