The group touted U.S. wins at the World Radiocommunication Conference in Dubai, as well as lawmakers’ goals for spectrum auction authority heading into 2024.

World Radio Congress

Going into the conference, in which representatives from around the world meet to coordinate spectrum usage, “the 6 GigaHertz (GHz) issue was the top priority of the U.S. government,” said Phil Murphy, a senior advisor at the NTIA.

The band was set aside in 2020 by the Federal Communications Commission for unlicensed use in the United States, but some countries like China wanted to see some of the band tapped for 5G mobile use, Murphy said.

The U.S. delegation was ultimately able to deliver in December: the conference decision set aside 700 MegaHertz (MHz) for mobile, but left the door open for regulatory agencies to approve unlicensed use throughout the band.

That’s a win for the American Wi-Fi industry: the Wi-Fi alliance announced its official Wi-Fi 7 certification on Monday ahead of the tech conference. The new generation supports wider spectrum channels and multi-link operation, both of which will make use of the 1,200 MHz of real estate in the 6 GHz band.

“We’re really excited by the results,” Murphy said. “We’re really excited to see 6 GHz moving forward, not just here in the United States, but in other parts of the world as well.”

Auction authority

The Federal Communications Commission’s authority to auction and issue licenses for the commercial use of electromagnetic spectrum expired for the first time in March 2023. That’s not an issue for technologies like Wi-Fi, which don’t require such licenses to operate in bands set aside for unlicensed use, but it is important for ever-expanding 5G networks and wireless broadband.

“The Chair’s number one priority is to reauthorize the FCC spectrum auction authority that expired in March,” said Kate O’Connor, chief counsel for the Republican majority on the communications and technology subcommittee. “Even if it hasn’t been public, there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes.”

Jennifer Epperson, chief counsel for the Democratic side of the subcommittee, and Murphy, the NTIA advisor, agreed on the importance of the issue. 

“I think reauthorizing the FCC’s spectrum auction authority is a priority for the administration as well,” he said. “There’s probably spectrum that the FCC has available to auction right now, but they can’t because they don’t have the authority to do so.”

At a House oversight hearing in November, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said “I have a bunch of bands sitting in the closet at the FCC,” pointing to 550 MHz in the 12.7-13.25 GHz band as spectrum the agency could go to auction with “relatively quickly.”

Efforts at blanket reauthorization have stalled publicly since a bill cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee in May, but a stopgap measure allowing the Commission to issue licenses that had been purchased before the lapse was signed into law in December.

“With the funding bills coming up, we’re taking a look and hoping that we can turn this on as soon as possible,” O’Connor said.

“We have an implementation plan that’s going to be out sometime in March,” said Phil Murphy, a senior advisor at the NTIA. “We’re really excited about the next steps.” 

The White House first unveiled the plan in November. It involves studying nearly 2,800 megahertz of spectrum for potential repurposing amid growing commercial demand. The plan also calls for a revamped spectrum pipeline with increased communication between government agencies and the private sector, as well as establishing a testbed for spectrum sharing.

The Biden administration also tasked the NTIA with producing an implementation plan within 120 days, putting the planned March release near the end of the agency’s window.

The implementation plan will, according to the NTIA, set up specific outcomes for each of the strategy’s “strategic objectives.” The plan will also designate responsible parties and set out start dates and timelines for their work.

Those strategic objectives are peppered throughout the strategy document, numbering 12 in total. They include ensuring spectrum resources are available for government and the private sector, developing an evidence-based spectrum allocation methodology, a spectrum research and development plan, and improving policymakers’ understanding of spectrum issues.

The agency took public comments on the implementation plan until January 2.

The money will go to the establishment of the company’s Open RAN Center for Integration and Deployment, or ORCID. The Cheyenne, Wyoming-based testing facility will allow companies to test equipment and software to ensure their technology works with existing 5G networks. The funding for ORCID is an attempt to allow smaller vendors to enter the market. 

“Today’s market for wireless equipment is static and highly consolidated. Just a few firms today provide the full set of radios and computers that power mobile phones,” NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson said at an announcement event in Las Vegas. 

Some of those providers Davidson noted, “pose national security risks to the U.S. and our allies around the world.” That’s in part a reference to Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, who are barred from federally subsidized networks by the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. 

That law provided $1.9 billion to reimburse providers for the replacement of the companies’ equipment, but the effort has stalled amid a funding shortfall and other supply chain issues – the Commission told Congress last week that just five companies have completed their replacements.

The ORCID facility is set to use open RAN hardware and spectrum bands owned by DISH, now a subsidiary of EchoStar, as a test bed for vendors to ensure the interoperability of their equipment. Open RAN refers to open radio access networks, or networks built with generic components rather than proprietary ones produced by a handful of large suppliers.

The company’s experience with its existing open RAN network puts it in a good position to help companies looking to enter the space, said Charlie Ergen, EchoStar co-founder and chairman.

“We learned some hard lessons regarding how to best deploy open RAN, lessons we will bring to and leverage at ORCID,” he said.The NTIA also announced $30 million in Innovation Fund grants to five additional recipients. The agency has now awarded a total of more than $98 million from the $1.5 billion CHIPS Act program. Up to $140 million is set to be made available through the first round of funding.

“We need to not only open up more spectrum bands, we need to use them as efficiently as possible,” said Chris Lewis, president and CEO of consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge.

Lewis cited as a step in the right direction the National Spectrum Strategy, a plan put forward by the White House in November to study almost 2,800 MHz for potential repurposing and to set up a long-term spectrum planning framework.

Beefing up the nation’s spectrum pipeline, as well as promoting unlicensed use and dynamic spectrum sharing, should be positive for 5G adoption going forward, Lewis said.

The plan “set down the right principles to move forward,” he said.

For all that to come to fruition, the Federal Communications Commission will need its spectrum auction authority renewed, something the Commission has been pushing lawmakers on. Congress let the authority lapse for the first time in March, and efforts to reinstate it have stalled. 

A stopgap measure was passed in December allowing the Commission to issue licenses that had been purchased before the lapse. Those will be used, largely by T-Mobile, to expand 5G footprints.

The World Radiocommunications Conference also tapped in December several hundred megahertz of spectrum for licensed, mobile use globally, part of an effort to help satiate the demand for growing 5G networks.

Some of that has already been reserved for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use in the United States.

Chris Emmons, vice president of devices and accessories at Verizon, said freeing up more spectrum would allow the company to continue expanding home broadband on its 5G networks. Some states have flagged concerns about the capacity on those networks, as cell traffic is prioritized during congestion, but Emmons said fixed wireless broadband is more adequate on 5G networks than on previous standards.

“Fixed wireless access for consumers has been a dream for a long time,” he said. “There were 3G attempts, there were 4G attempts… There have been a lot of things that people have tried over the years, but we’ve actually seen a fixed wireless solution now that scales successfully.”

“As long as we continue to get the spectrum we need, we will engineer that properly and provide for all these use cases,” Emmons said.

The partnership is intended to use SpaceX satellites to provide service to mobile devices on some of T-Mobile’s spectrum bands.

But Dish, in a Tuesday filing, is concerned about the potential for harmful interference in adjacent bands in which it operates its own satellite systems and asked the FCC to limit the number of satellites SpaceX can test, or to halt future testing altogether.

AT&T and the Rural Wireless Association, a trade group of small, rural wireless carriers, have also opposed the move out of fears that other systems could be interrupted. SpaceX applied to operate the service in May 2023.

Satellite-mobile company Omnispace met with Commission staff on December 11 to discuss an analysis that raised similar concerns. Dish submitted a letter signing onto Omnispace’s study and asked the agency to require further study on the potential for interference before fully authorizing the service.

The FCC granted SpaceX authorization on December 1 to test the radios on its satellites in the 1910-1915 megahertz and 1990-1995 MHz bands, known as the “G-Block,” but only for 10 days at a time. 

The size of SpaceX’s fleet makes that limitation less effective at mitigating the effects of any interference, Dish said in its petition.

“When a system is authorized for 7,500 satellites, testing for each launch would effectively allow such operations for an astounding 75,000 days, the equivalent of two centuries,” the company said.

SpaceX, for its part, has said in filings that its software can quickly turn off individual satellites in the event of any interference with existing systems and has refuted Omnispace’s analysis, arguing the potential for such interference is low.

PCMag reported the Commission gave the company permission on December 14 to go further and conduct field tests with on-the-ground devices in 25 locations across the United States. SpaceX launched its first six satellites for that purpose on Tuesday and plans to “soon” begin testing, the company said in a release.

Dish and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.

The $42.5-billion broadband expansion program’s rules mark the fixed wireless technology as “reliable broadband service,” meaning areas receiving home internet on licensed spectrum are only by default eligible for BEAD-funded infrastructure if speeds are below the program’s minimum threshold of 100 Megabits per second download and 20 Mbps upload. The states and territories were required to submit initial proposals for implementing the program to the federal government by December 27.

The states consistently cite concerns about wireless networks’ ability to handle large numbers of users at once, particularly in the case of broadband provided with the excess capacity on networks designated for mobile use, as those networks prioritize mobile users during periods of congestion.

“As additional customers are added and subtracted from fixed wireless networks, the amount of available bandwidth available per customer varies,” Rob Fish, deputy director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, said in an email. “A particular fixed wireless customer could receive 100/20 Mbps or better during one month and then no longer be able to receive that speed in another month as customers are added.” 

States with initial drafts marking some wireless broadband ‘underserved’

Four states – Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, and Vermont – published initial drafts of those plans that would mark areas whose only internet comes from wireless broadband on cellular networks as “underserved,” making them eligible for BEAD-funded infrastructure. 

North Carolina’s draft plan would set homes and businesses receiving service from the technology to “unserved,” putting them at the front of the line for BEAD-funded infrastructure. By default, locations receiving less than 25 * 3 Mbps are unserved and locations receiving less than 100 * 20 Mbps are underserved, with unserved getting special priority. The state’s draft would also mark as unserved locations connected via a general access license in the CBRS band.

Three other states – Ohio, Nevada, and Wisconsin – planned to extend the underserved designation to locations receiving fixed wireless broadband on licensed spectrum, including networks specifically designed for home broadband.

California published a draft plan that would modify locations receiving licensed fixed wireless at speeds on the lower end of the underserved range, moving them into the unserved category. New Mexico did the same, but only if the service is provided by cellular networks.

No drafts including these measures have been officially approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Commerce Department agency handling BEAD.

States are allowed to modify the designation of certain locations, provided they justify them with sufficient evidence, according to an NTIA policy notice. 

Ohio’s plan to designate all fixed wireless unserved was scrapped

The agency scrapped Ohio’s plan to designate all licensed fixed wireless as unserved, citing inconsistency with the BEAD definition of reliable broadband. A revision in the state’s BEAD draft acknowledges that the NTIA informed the state broadband office that categorizing the technology as unserved would breach the rules laid out in NTIA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Vermont and Georgia’s plans to mark as underserved wireless broadband on cellular networks, however, survived NTIA edits to their draft proposals. Both state offices said they submitted proposals including the measure.

“I believe we made a convincing case and are expecting final approval any day on our Volume 1 proposal,” Fish said. “Are we concerned that it could still be rejected? Yes, of course, but we firmly believe we proved our case and believe the NTIA shares our desire to avoid declaring mission accomplished and then having people come out of the woodwork saying they are unserved.”

The fear that some homes and businesses in Vermont receiving cellular fixed wireless at reported speeds above the minimum BEAD threshold may turn out to lack consistent internet access comes from concerns about the capacity on those networks and the state’s geography.

The state, 78 percent of which is covered in heavy tree canopy, incorporated into its BEAD plan a line-of-sight analysis to demonstrate potential obstructions to radio signals necessary for fixed wireless. The analysis reveals 1,108 locations lack visibility to any towers, and therefore, would experience diminished service for a significant portion of the year.

Those factors can amount to inconsistent wireless service in Vermont, the state’s broadband office said in its draft proposal. It cites 2,464 challenges submitted as of 2023 to FCC coverage data for the state’s biggest cellular fixed wireless provider, over two-thirds of which were upheld.

Georgia broadband office shares Vermont concerns

Jessica Simmons, Executive Director of the Georgia Broadband Program, said the state shares some of Vermont’s concerns about broadband provided on cellular networks.

“This is a good technology, it’s just a capacity concern,” she said. With home internet users and mobile users competing, she said, it can be difficult for all locations within range of a cellular network to consistently connect on its excess bandwidth.

Georgia’s plan to mark homes and businesses served only by the technology as underserved is an effort “to make sure that those locations that are being marked as ‘served’ can actually get access that they requested,” she said.

Simmons said the NTIA requested additional information on why the state felt it necessary to make the change. The measure survived edits from the agency, but has yet to be officially approved. 

The NTIA did not respond to a request for comment.

Republican lawmakers at a House oversight hearing in December pushed Alan Davidson, the agency’s top official, on state plans to open up more wireless broadband service areas to BEAD infrastructure. They expressed concerns that such plans would lead to states subsidizing networks in areas that already receive adequate internet.

Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, said he was “very concerned” about his state’s draft proposal, which would mark locations receiving cellular fixed wireless as underserved and asked Davidson to commit to rejecting the plan.

“I can’t really answer the question without having without seeing sort of the totality of what they’re proposing and what their what the state will be working on,” Davidson said at the hearing. 

“I will say there are good reasons states have tried in some situations to work within the statute… to make these changes as they go through their own challenge process and figure out where they’re going to spend the money that we’ve given them,” he said.

Update: This story was updated to correct Rob Fish’s name.

This story was reported and written by Reporters Jake Neenan and Jericho Casper.

This prolonged situation has raised industry concerns about the future of 5G stemming from the scarcity of accessible mid-band spectrum and the uncertainty surrounding upcoming spectrum auctions.

• On the Tenth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  Nearly 10 Months Without FCC Spectrum Auction Authority
  93 Percent Match of Federal Funds for Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Program
  The Number 8 As a Representation of Balance, Justice and Fairness
  7 Layers to the Open Systems Interconnection Model and Open Access Networks
  One-hundred-and 66 Billion Dollars of American Semiconductor Investment
  56 States and Territorial Broadband Offices Implementing BEAD
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence

The ongoing spectrum standstill prompted the need for a bill to be pushed forward to enable the FCC to authorize the sale of 8,000 2.5 GigaHertz (GHz) spectrum licenses sold to companies last year. President Biden signed the 5G Sale Act to reinstate limited FCC authority to auction the 2.5 GHz licenses on December 19.

T-Mobile is poised to leverage the over $300 million worth of spectrum licenses it secured to fortify its existing 5G networks. 

Otherwise stagnant spectrum pipeline prompts worries

A years-long battle between the Defense Department and the commercial telecommunications industry over access to the 3.1-3.45 GHz S-band raged between military and commercial establishments.

The Defense Department produced a report in December finding that the agency cannot currently share S-band spectrum with commercial users. The Pentagon currently uses the band for its air, land and sea-based radars, weapons systems and other electronics.

The Defense Department was required to produce the report investigating the potential for commercial use of the spectrum in conjunction with the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which administers use of the airwaves by federal agencies. The study was required by the 2021 Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act. 

This spectrum band is considered important because it allows for longer-range transmissions than the millimeter-wave spectrum that makes up much of what has so far been available in the U.S.

The NTIA will continue to study opening the band in the future, either by exploring options that would make spectrum sharing possible or moving a government system to another band. 

National Spectrum Policy released

That and other studies laid out in the Biden Administration’s National Spectrum Policy released in November are set to be complete within the coming two years. The White House’s plan calls for a two-year study on potentially repurposing five spectrum bands, a total of 2,786 megahertz, and identifies the lower 3 GHz and the 7-8 GHz bands as primary contenders for a strong pipeline of spectrum for private sector use. 

The plan also calls for the federal government to develop a new process aimed at increasing communication in decision making between government and private sector stakeholders.

The last time the federal government freed up spectrum for commercial use was when the 3.45-3.55 GHz band was made available under Republican FCC chief Ajit Pai in 2020.

This uncertainty about spectrum places the U.S. in a troubling position. The government’s reservoir of new spectrum for private sector allocation appears to be drying up. The typically bipartisan process of replenishing it has ground to a halt.

Months of delays and disagreements over reauthorization

Many thought the shock of the lapse of the FCC’s spectrum auction authority would prompt quick action in the 118th Congress.. 

The House Energy and Commerce Committee cleared in May a bill that would reinstate FCC spectrum auction authority for three years. That bill would allow for, but not mandate, an auction of the lower 3 GHz band.The bill stalled after clearing the Energy and Commerce Committee.

In an Expert Opinion piece in Broadband Breakfast, Joel Thayer argued that unnecessary intergovernmental infighting is now jeopardizing the nation’s 5G rollout.

“What’s more, the advent of AI will require even more data transmissions over our 5G networks and will inevitably strain them. Without a refilled spectrum pipeline, data-driven applications—like AI—will become a pipedream for the U.S.,” he wrote.

See “The Twelve Days of Broadband” on Broadband Breakfast

• On the First Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Second Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Third Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Fourth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Fifth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  56 States and Territorial Broadband Offices Implementing BEAD
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Sixth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  One-hundred-and 66 Billion Dollars of American Semiconductor Investment
  56 States and Territorial Broadband Offices Implementing BEAD
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Seventh Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  7 Layers to the Open Systems Interconnection Model and Open Access Networks
  One-hundred-and 66 Billion Dollars of American Semiconductor Investment
  56 States and Territorial Broadband Offices Implementing BEAD
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
  
• On the Eighth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  The Number 8 As a Representation of Balance, Justice and Fairness
  7 Layers to the Open Systems Interconnection Model and Open Access Networks
  One-hundred-and 66 Billion Dollars of American Semiconductor Investment
  56 States and Territorial Broadband Offices Implementing BEAD
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Ninth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  93 Percent Match of Federal Funds for Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Program
  The Number 8 As a Representation of Balance, Justice and Fairness
  7 Layers to the Open Systems Interconnection Model and Open Access Networks
  One-hundred-and 66 Billion Dollars of American Semiconductor Investment
  56 States and Territorial Broadband Offices Implementing BEAD
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence
• On the Tenth Day of Broadband, my true love sent to me:
  Nearly 10 Months Without FCC Spectrum Auction Authority
  93 Percent Match of Federal Funds for Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Program
  The Number 8 As a Representation of Balance, Justice and Fairness
  7 Layers to the Open Systems Interconnection Model and Open Access Networks
  One-hundred-and 66 Billion Dollars of American Semiconductor Investment
  56 States and Territorial Broadband Offices Implementing BEAD
  4.8 Million Challenges to Broadband Coverage Data
  $3.6 Billion Funds Remaining in the Affordable Connectivity Program
  24 Reverse-Preemption Pole Attachment States (2023 edition)
  And One Artificial General Intelligence

The conference, which happens every four years, brings nations together to coordinate agreements on global spectrum use with the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union. Bands selected for further mobile use include the 1 gigahertz, 3.5 GHz, and notably parts of the 6 GHz band.

In the U.S., that band was opened by the Federal Communications Commission in 2020 for Wi-Fi connectivity and other unlicensed use, blocking mobile providers from expanding networks in the band. The commission also adopted rules in October that open up 850 MHz of the band for very low power, or VLP, use, widening the range of devices that can make use of the spectrum.

Wi-Fi advocates supported the move and pushed the FCC to go further, saying increased reliance on and development of Wi-Fi-connected devices will require more bandwidth to satisfy demand.

The WRC decision taps 700 MHz in the upper 6GHz band for licensed, mobile use in an effort to make more spectrum available for expanding 5G networks, but says regulatory agencies can approve unlicensed use in the band.

That’s still a win, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, a trade group representing companies that use the technology with unlicensed spectrum.

“Wi-Fi Alliance is thrilled that the conference recognized the pivotal role of 6 GHz Wi-Fi in shaping the future of global connectivity,” the group said in a statement after the conference.

CTIA, another trade group representing wireless providers that operate 5G networks, was also pleased with work done at the conference.

“We applaud the global decision to harmonize new spectrum bands for 5G and beyond, particularly the critical lower 3 GHz band and the 7/8 GHz bands,” CTIA CEO Meredith Attwell Baker said in a statement.

Ahead of the next WRC in 2027, the ITU will study the 7-8.5 GHz band for potential 6G use.

The agency’s Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee was tasked in December 2022 with assessing the CBRS spectrum sharing framework and determining how it might inform future spectrum management efforts by the NTIA, which is tasked with overseeing federal spectrum use, and other government agencies.

CBRS has since 2020 governed spectrum sharing for 150 megahertz in the 3.5 GigaHertz (GHz) band. The Federal Communications Commission framework allocates spectrum to three tiers of users: military radar systems and other federal users, fixed wireless and mobile providers who purchase priority licenses in certain bands, and general access users who use the remaining spectrum opportunistically. Each is protected from interference by the lower tiers.

CSMAC said in its report that the industry, government, and academic stakeholders the group consulted “unanimously felt that the hybrid CBRS framework has resulted in commercial use without harmful interference” to vital federal systems. 

The group recommended a process for accepting complaints and implementing improvements. The framework is new, the report notes, and “no defined process currently exists, and any suggested improvements are slow to address and implement.”

Expediting the spectrum sharing process

A working policy group composed of NTIA and FCC officials, as well as senior members of organizations in all three access tiers, would help expedite the improvement process, the CSMAC report said. That group would have to be tailored to fit the circumstances of any future frequency bands in which CBRS is implemented.

That’s something the group said had broad support among the stakeholders it consulted, with many noting the framework “provides a strong foundation” for sharing in other bands. Respondents tapped specific bands as strong candidates for a CBRS-like system, with the lower 3 GHz band being the most common suggestion.

A Defense Department study recently found no current openings for commercial users in the band, but the NTIA is studying possibilities for future sharing arrangements.

Some commercial users expressed hesitation about expanding CBRS, the report notes. Nationwide wireless providers and a trade group told CSMAC that the potential for interference in CBRS bands makes the traditional static license system a better option for future spectrum allocation.

Users also suggested improvements to reduce disruption by federal systems. They told the group current methods of safeguarding government users are too conservative and sometime kick off commercial systems unnecessarily.

CSMAC’s findings will likely inform the NTIA’s National Spectrum Strategy, a plan put together at the request of the White House to standardize the nation’s spectrum pipeline and study approximately 2,800 MHz of spectrum for potential repurposing to expand federal and commercial use. 

The FCC will need its spectrum auction authority reinstated to accomplish that goal. A stopgap measure was signed into law on Tuesday that allows the agency to issue previously purchased licenses that have been in limbo since the authority expired for the first time in March.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated the National Spectrum Strategy called for freeing up 2,800 MHz for commercial use. The plan calls for the study of that spectrum to inform potential repurposing efforts.

Investments for the latest 5G infrastructure have yet to show a significant revenue increase. In fact, subscriber traffic has continued to grow while service plan pricing has remained relatively flat. MNOs realize that further network investment must focus on cost savings and new revenue streams.

Nonetheless 5G enhancements have been a primary focus this past year. New 5G radio frequency bands, like C-Band, were implemented in high traffic venues where its increased bandwidth improved performance. Yet the deployment strategy of higher mmWave frequencies varied across the MNOs. While mmWave supports high data rates and low latency, its propagation characteristics limit its coverage area which requires careful planning and consideration by MNOs.

One application where mmWave has been quite successful is for Fixed Wireless Access services as an alternative to wired broadband. With the use of advanced 5G antenna technology such as Massive MIMO, and a relatively clear line-of-site between towers and FWA users, the distance limitations can be minimized while delivering high performance broadband service. Since the last mile connection is delivered wirelessly, the cost per customer is reduced and the service price can be highly competitive.

Next-generation core network architecture

We are also seeing a ramp in the deployment of the next generation 5G core network architecture. Originally 5G was deployed in a Non-Stand-Alone architecture that allowed MNOs to deploy their 5G RAN as an overly of the existing 4G network, whereby 5G devices depend on 4G signaling and core network to establish a connection.

Moving to 5G stand alone, which is based on cloud-native principles, provides an inherent service-based architecture that supports full end-to-end 5G capabilities including advanced mobile core functionality that opens the door for new services and higher performance. While 5G SA deployment in the US started before 2023, this year has seen continual growth.

A major benefit of the 5G stand alone mobile core is the implementation of advanced functionality including network slicing, Voice over New Radio and time-critical communication. It allows MNOs to create separate network layers for customized capacity, latency, and performance to address specific applications or user requirements. This provides a platform for new edge services based on customer groups, and new revenue streams.

Another key benefit of 5G stand alone is the ability to separate and virtualize the various functions of the mobile network. For example, RAN functions can be moved to optimal locations within the network running on standardized information technology servers or in a hosted cloud.

This architecture allows MNOs to reduce hardware costs compared to traditional network infrastructure options and implement software-based RAN functionality that efficiently scales with traffic needs. The next step is leveraging 5G SA network principles along with Open RAN capabilities as we move into 2024.

Open RAN likely to accelerate in 2024

O-RAN elevates this optimization further by allowing elements from different vendors to interoperate based on the defined standards. This gives MNOs significant flexibility and cost savings through a more competitive and scalable approach.

While there are operational challenges, these challenges can be overcome with careful interoperability testing and verification. One example of this strategy is the recent announcement by AT&T to invest significantly in O-RAN implementation starting in 2024.

Indoor users also benefit from these network architectural advances. DAS solutions have begun to evolve to an O-RAN architecture that simplifies its connectivity to the MNO core network with included baseband functionality. This eliminates the need for a separate and costly BTS signal source traditionally deployed by each of the MNOs.

When an inbuilding O-RAN solution is approved for use by the MNO it can be deployed and managed by the inbuilding solution provider, thereby reducing MNO capital expenditure and operational expenditures while delivering dedicated capacity to the venue. Furthermore, this architecture supports the centralization of RAN functions that can optimize connectivity between the MNO network and multiple venues.

Finally, this architecture further simplifies the integration of neutral host and private network services where 5G SA network slicing and edge services support the ability to offer value-added custom applications to the building owners, tenants, and guests, on top of neutral host service.

While private network solutions have been deployed for quite some time, they primarily serve the internal venue users. Addressing the needs of both private and public mobile users on those solutions has been a challenge due to factors driven by MNO requirements. Fresh solutions have already emerged that solve this challenge with the O-RAN and 5G architectural advances.

These new solutions optimize the coexistence of MNO neutral host and private services on the same scalable platform with improved economics. With the network densification and cost benefits of this approach, it is expected to be an area of growth in the coming year.

John Cinicolo leads Tillman Digital Cities’ Technical Operations function including solution architecture, technology strategy, program execution and technical services. He has more than 35 years of experience building mobile technology business around the world in leadership roles with network infrastructure provides and entrepreneurial startups. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. This piece is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.

David Goldman, Vice President of Satellite Policy for SpaceX, disclosed today that Starlink plans to enter the Affordable Connectivity Program run by the Federal Communications Commission for the past two years.

“We are eligible for it, and we are planning on participating. We haven’t turned it on yet.” Goldman said today on a webcast sponsored by Broadband Breakfast.

Starlink’s standard unlimited data plan costs $120 a month in addition to the upfront equipment charge of $599. The ACP provides a $30 a month discount on monthly broadband bills for eligible households.

David Goldman, Vice President of Satellite Policy for SpaceX, during Broadband Breakfast Live Online event.

Starlink, Goldman said, has deployed about 5,500 satellites into low earth orbit – about 340 miles in the sky. He said current generation satellites have four times the capacity of earlier versions, meaning more customers can be served with “urban-quality” broadband.

“We also are available anywhere in the United States, all 50 states, and we have cleared any kind of backlog that we have,” Goldman said, adding that Starlink serves more than 2 million subscribers globally.

Hosted by Drew Clark, Editor and Publisher of Broadband Breakfast, the webinar also included: Kalpak Gude, Head of Domestic Regulatory Affairs, Project Kuiper; Kelly Martin, Account Director, Eutelsat OneWeb; and Martin Marshall, Senior Sales Engineer Services & Platforms, Eutelsat OneWeb.

The ACP – which originally received $14.2 billion from Congress to help with the recovery from COVID-19 – is expected to run out of money by next April. That could impact up to 25 million households, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in Nov. 30 House testimony. President Biden has requested $6 billion to keep ACP going.

Senior Capitol Hill Republicans have pushed back on Rosenworcel’s estimate, pointing to data from the Universal Service Administrative Company that only 16% and 22% of current ACP enrollees did not have Internet access prior to the launch of the ACP.

This article by Ted Hearn was originally published on Policyband on December 20, 2023, and is reprinted with permission.

Correction: A previous version of this story said that the current generation of Starlink’s satellites have download speeds four times faster than earlier generations. In fact, the current generation of Starlink’s satellites have four times the capacity of earlier generations. The story has been corrected.

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 – Space Wars: What to Expect from Satellite Broadband

As satellite internet providers like SpaceX’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper continue expanding, the race for space-based broadband is heating up. With the FCC approving SpaceX’s Gen2 satellite deployment and Amazon testing prototype launches, these companies are poised to blanket the skies with thousands more satellites. What are the implications of this new phase, particularly the potential for interference issues, orbital debris concerns and 5G backhaul capabilities? What about the regulatory and policy questions surrounding mega-constellations and space commercialization? Will satellite broadband address the current digital divide, potentially on a global scale? Join the discussion for informed perspectives on the path forward amid the space broadband boom.

Panelists

• David Goldman, Vice President of Satellite Policy for SpaceX
• Kalpak Gude, Head of Domestic Regulatory Affairs, Project Kuiper
• Kelly Martin, Account Director, Eutelsat OneWeb
• Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

David Goldman is the Vice President of Satellite Policy for SpaceX. Prior to joining SpaceX in 2018, he was the Chief Counsel for the Senate Communication and Technology Subcommittee since January 2015. Before that, he served as the Senior Legal Advisor for FCC then-Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, and was her chief advisor on wireless, international, and public safety issues, along with responsibility for other issues of policy, strategy, public relations, and office operations.

Kalpak Gude is the Head of Domestic Regulatory Affairs for Project Kuiper at Amazon. He is also responsible for Project Kuiper’s space safety and sustainability efforts on a global basis. Prior to Amazon, Mr. Gude was General Counsel at Swarm Technologies and President of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance trade association. He has also had senior roles in the U.S. government at the FCC and U.S. Senate, as well as in industry at OneWeb, Intelsat and PanAmSat.

Kelly Martin is Director for OneWeb servicing government segments including government grant programs, federal government, state & local, and international defense. OneWeb’s go-to-market strategy is through distribution partners. In her director role, Kelly interfaces with AT&T, Hughes and X2nSat in bringing LEO satellite services to the end-user.

Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.

As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.

That’s when the commission’s ability to auction electromagnetic frequency bands for commercial use lapsed after Congress failed to renew the authority for the first time since 1993. The expiration left 8,000 purchased, but not yet officially issued, licenses in the 2.5 gigahertz band in limbo.

Tuesday’s stopgap measure will allow the FCC to issue those licenses, opening the door for purchasers to use the spectrum to expand 5G mobile networks.

The commission is still unable to hold new auctions and allocate more frequency bands. FCC commissioners and telecommunications providers have been pushing Congress to fully reinstate the agency’s authority, as emerging wireless technologies and expanding networks compete for finite airwaves.

“We badly need Congress to restore the agency’s spectrum auction authority,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel testified to House members at a recent oversight hearing. She and other commissioners supported the 5G SALE Act at the hearing

Efforts to extend the authority have fallen flat on Capitol Hill as lawmakers struggle to reach an agreement on the duration of the restoration and on specific bands to tap for auction. The March expiration came amid concerns over the results of a Defense Department study on sharing the government’s 3.1-3.45 GHz band with commercial users, with holdouts wanting to wait for the study to be completed before granting blanket authority.

National Telecommunications and Information Administration head Alan Davidson told Congress on December 5 that the study found no current avenues for commercial use in the band, potentially complicating a House bill that would reinstate auction authority for three years. The bill stalled after clearing the Energy and Commerce Committee in May, and would potentially allow auctions in the band. 

T-Mobile is set to receive the lion’s share of the newly available licenses. It spent over $300 million on 7,156 licenses in the band to expand its networks into rural areas.

The Biden administration unveiled in November a strategy to free up spectrum, directing the NTIA to study 2,800 MHz for future use over the next two years. That includes the lower 3GHz band blacked by the DoD, with the agency focusing on ways to open the band in the future, including moving government systems to other frequencies.

The commission will need its auction authority reinstated to allow commercial use of any bands those studies identify.

Given that we are in the midst of World Radio Conference—the international conference that decides how we structure global 5G networks–an assessment of where we are in relation to spectrum allocation and what we need to do to secure our dominant position in the race to 5G becomes all the more important.

Spectrum, for the unfamiliar, is the reason you are able to read this article from a mobile device. It is the invisible real estate that allows 5G networks to transition services, like autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture, and even artificial intelligence, from science fiction into today’s reality.

In no uncertain terms, without spectrum, there is no mobile revolution. Think about every device that relies on wireless networks. Your smartphone, laptop, smartwatch, Fitbit, and Airtags are just some of the products fueled by spectrum. Without spectrum, they won’t work.

And for nearly a decade, we have dominated the race to 5G. We did so, because we made 5G a national priority and coordinated an interagency effort to build out 5G networks. And it worked. By 2020, we led the world on 5G speeds and the procurement and distribution of valuable spectrum.

The U.S. is in a rebuilding year

If we were an NFL team, we were Tom Brady’s New England Patriots.

But, akin to the Patriots’ 2023 season, we’re in a rebuilding year. We have no new high-powered mid-band spectrum in the pipeline and some of the spectrum we do have available is getting bogged down due to unnecessary intergovernmental fighting.

Even if we did, it would be incredibly hard to get the spectrum out into the market expeditiously because Congress allowed the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum auction authority to lapse—something that had never before happened since Congress granted it in the 1990s. This lapse of authority has not just stalled new spectrum from coming into the market but has also prevented the FCC from releasing nearly 8,000 licenses of valuable 2.5 GigaHertz (GHz) mid-band spectrum purchased last year.

Conservative estimates show that 5G must be able to support the data transmissions of 1 million devices for every third of a mile. And we expect there to be 41.6 billion devices online in less than two years. Our networks won’t be able to handle that onslaught.

What’s more, the advent of AI will require even more data transmissions over our 5G networks and will inevitably strain them. Without a refilled spectrum pipeline, data-driven applications—like AI—will become a pipedream for the U.S.

Worse, this opens the door for China to pick up its pace on 5G and 6G. Much of what China is doing in spectrum and deployment are to position itself to win in 6G. How? Because 6G builds on 5G, much like 5G built on 4G/LTE. Hence, if China wins here, 6G networks will be built on their 5G foundation.

We need to keep up our pace.

The U.S. is constrained by the lack of spectrum auction authority

But here’s the rub, the Administration is constrained in what it can do to open up new bands and get spectrum out into the market quickly.

For example, the FCC has said repeatedly that it won’t release spectrum it has already auctioned, specifically in the 2.5 GHz band, without its auction authority being reauthorized.

But you know what branch of government isn’t constrained? Congress.

And there’s some good news on that front. Sen. John Kennedy’s 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement (SALE) Act unanimously passed a rollcall vote in the Senate. The SALE Act would allow the FCC to move forward on releasing those 8,000 2.5 GHz licenses, which allows T-Mobile to enhance its existing 5G networks. This action alone creates more competition in 5G offerings, which inevitably lowers the price for consumers.

But more must done!

With the National Spectrum Strategy, the Administration has given Congress a path forward to turn our franchise around. The Administration’s plan identifies the lower 3 GHz and the 7-8 GHz bands as primary contenders for a strong pipeline of spectrum for private sector use—bands Congress itself identified in last year’s draft of the bipartisan Spectrum Innovation Act.

Better yet, the strategy does not foreclose looking at less controversial mid-band spectrum—particularly bands that build on mid-band spectrum already in the market, like in 4.4-4.9 GHz range. Using this spectrum can create a more contiguous band of 5G mid-band spectrum to handle the immense data transmissions we’ll see from AI.

Lastly, Congress needs to reauthorize the FCC’s spectrum auction authority to ensure we can get this spectrum into the market expeditiously.

Although we won’t likely auction off any new spectrum in the next year—just as the Patriots will not make the playoffs, we can use this as a teachable moment to rebuild and strengthen our networks. It would behoove Congress to move fast because while we twiddle our thumbs, China continues to build.

Joel Thayer is president of the Digital Progress Institute and an attorney based in Washington, D.C. The Digital Progress Institute is a nonprofit seeking to bridge the policy divide between telecom and tech through bipartisan consensus. This piece is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.

]]> https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2023/12/joel-thayer-no-5g-spectrum-means-no-digital-future/feed/ 0 56314 https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2023/12/temporary-fcc-spectrum-auction-bill-clears-house-committee/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=temporary-fcc-spectrum-auction-bill-clears-house-committee https://broadbandbreakfast.com/2023/12/temporary-fcc-spectrum-auction-bill-clears-house-committee/#respond Tue, 05 Dec 2023 23:27:32 +0000 https://broadbandbreakfast.com/?p=56233 WASHINGTON, December 5, 2023 – The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Tuesday cleared a bill that would allow the Federal Communications Commission to issue already auctioned spectrum licenses. An identical bill passed the Senate in September.

The FCC’s authority to auction off spectrum and issue licenses expired for the first time in March. At that time the commission had auctioned 8,000 licenses in the 2.5 GigaHertz band for 5G networks, but had yet to issue them.

The 5G SALE Act, introduced in September by Rep. John Joyce, R-Pennsylvania, would give the FCC authority to release those licenses, allowing winners to expand their service areas.

The bill will now go to the full House for a vote.

FCC commissioners have been pushing for a full reinstatement of their auction authority, but supported the stopgap bill at an oversight hearing held by the committee on November 30. 

“The licensees deserve to get access to that spectrum,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said at the hearing. “You’re going to hopefully expedite the day when they do.”

T-mobile would see the biggest expansion if the bill becomes law. It spent over $300 million on 7,156 licenses in the band.

The spectrum has been eyed by industry for use in 5G networks. A trade group representing wireless carriers published a report in August arguing that 150 MHz of the 350 MHz band could be shared with commercial users without jeopardizing national security.

Davidson said the DOD’s report leaves open the possibility of sharing in the future if certain conditions are met, but makes clear the spectrum can’t be opened up in the near future. 

“The answer is no right now. They’ve not seen a way forward on that. And we think their technical work in that area is strong,” he said.

The report was mandated by the 2021 Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act and has been on the NTIA’s desk since late September. The agency has been working to brief lawmakers on the findings, some of which are classified, but was not able to do so before Tuesday’s House oversight hearing, Davidson said.

As outlined by the Biden administration’s spectrum plan, the NTIA will continue to study opening the band in the future. The two options for that, Davidson said, are changes that would make sharing possible or moving a government system to another band. That and other studies are set to be completed within two years.

“There are no easy answers here,” he said. “But we felt the band was too important to give up.”

The NTIA has been looking into the band for years, since a report on its potential for commercial use was mandated by a 2015 law. Under that law, the Federal Communications Commission is supposed to use the agency’s findings to auction off licenses allowing use of the band’s spectrum by summer 2024. 

The FCC’s ability to carry out such an auction expired in March after Congress failed to extend it, in part because of concerns over auctioning sensitive bands like the lower 3 GHz.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee cleared in May a bill that would reinstate that authority. That bill would allow for, but not mandate, an auction of the lower 3 GHz band.

The agency clarified it will define fixed wireless broadband provided through “licensed-by-rule” spectrum as reliable. That makes providers using that spectrum eligible for funding if fiber is too expensive, and protects them from overbuilding by other projects under the program.

The move is a win for wireless providers, who have been pushing the NTIA to move on the issue since it released the notice of funding opportunity for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program in 2022.

When the BEAD guidelines were first published, they only marked broadband provided via licensed spectrum – frequency bands designated by the Federal Communications Commission for use by a single provider – as reliable broadband. 

That meant areas receiving broadband through only unlicensed spectrum – bands set aside for shared use – would be open for BEAD-funded projects from other providers. This is still the case under the clarified rules.

The original guidelines would also put systems like the Citizens Broadband Radio Service in a gray zone. The CBRS uses a tiered license system, with government users, priority license holders, and general users sharing 150 megahertz of spectrum. Each tier gets preference over the one below it, meaning a general access user cannot, for example, interfere with a government system.

Some broadband providers use that spectrum on a general access basis to provide internet service. They were initially marked in the FCC’s broadband data with the same code as fully licensed spectrum, 71. But when the FCC added in January a new technology code specific to licensed-by-rule spectrum, 72, it became unclear how the technology would be treated by the BEAD program.

The NTIA cleared up any confusion on November 9, issuing an updated version of its FAQs specifying the new technology code would be treated as reliable broadband, and thus both eligible for BEAD dollars and protected from overbuilding. 

The agencies did not go so far as to comment on the merits of the technology, though, saying in its new FAQ section that it would treat licensed-by-rule as reliable because it was originally classified under 71, with fully licensed spectrum.

Speaking at the U.S. Broadband Summit here on Thursday, state broadband officials expanded on the challenges they face in ensuring broadband deployment.

Sandeep Taxali, broadband program advisor with the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access, said that New Mexico’s $745 million allocation under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program falls short of the $1.3 to 2.5 billion that the state would need for full fiber deployment.

If the state chose to solely install fiber, underserved communities would be left out, he said.

“We want to lead with fiber but we also recognize that advanced fixed wireless and hybrid fixed wireless and fiber and satellite have a seat at the table for the very high cost remote areas where fiber is just going to not allow us to get the mission done,” Taxali said.

Jade Piros, director of Kansas Office of Broadband Development said her state is likely chosing to do 75% fiber model and 25% other technologies. Uncertainty of the cost from broadband providers make it difficult to have a standard cost calculation.

“We have to get everybody connected, and that’s why we require a lot of flexibility in shifting our expectations and the willingness to work closely with providers and be responsive to what they’re telling us,” Piros said.

Edyn Rolls, director of broadband strategy at the Oklahoma Broadband Office, expressed optimism that all of the underserved residents in her state would be reached, despite having what she said was an estimated $500 million shortfall.

“We will find the technologies that are going to be less expensive and achieve the needed model,” Rolls said. “We are trying to reach universal access. That is the goal.”

Connect20 Summit

The White House’s plan calls for a two-year study on potentially repurposing five spectrum bands, a total of 2,786 megahertz. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the agency that led development on the plan, is set to conduct the study.

That push for reallocation is driven by growing demand from the private sector, the plan said. Growing technologies like 5G networks, precision agriculture, satellites, and Wi-Fi-connected devices are all hungry for the finite airwaves.

Bands slated for more immediate evaluation are the lower 3 GHz band, 5030-5091 MHz, 7125-8400 MHz, 18.1-18.6 GHz, and 37-37.6 GHz. Those are currently occupied entirely or partly by incumbents like the Department of Defense and other “mission critical” federal operations.

Industry groups support freeing up additional spectrum. Meredith Attwell Baker, president of CTIA, the trade group representing large telecom companies, applauded the plan in a statement, calling it a “critical first step” to that end.

Called the National Spectrum Strategy, the administration’s plan also set the stage for more long-term changes to spectrum planning and allocation.

The White House will develop a new process for that allocation, according to the strategy document. The process will be aimed at increasing communication between government and private sector stakeholders in those decisions. 

Currently, the NTIA allocates spectrum for federal users, while the Federal Communications Commission handles spectrum for non-federal purposes. The agencies do coordinate, but the White House is aiming for a more unified process.

“Simply put, the United States needs a better and more consistent process for bringing the public and private sectors together to work through the difficult issues surrounding access to spectrum, including dynamic forms of spectrum sharing,” the strategy reads.

The plan calls for a new evidence-based methodology to help make those decisions, which the White House will develop.

Also in the strategy is a plan to set up designated areas for testing dynamic spectrum sharing and other spectrum research, and a workforce development plan.

Register for Digital Infrastructure Investment in Washington on December 5, 2023!

In a discussion called “Building Beyond BEAD,” a reference to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment grant program at VON Evolution, a tech and telecom summit, panelists highlighted the critical role of funding for digital infrastructure investment.

Joe Plotkin, business development director for New York fiber provider Stealth Communications, explained how the city’s underground conduit system dates back to the 1880s. This legacy infrastructure helps new entrants like Stealth run fiber by providing conduit access through an established system long occupied by incumbents like Verizon and Altice.

Above ground, pole attachment policies also stymie broadband competition, according to David Gilford, head of policy and strategic partnerships at Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, a company that builds technology-enabled infrastructure, backed by institutional investors including Alphabet.

Gilford advocated for greater sharing of “scarce” pole real estate among competitive carriers looking to deploy fiber and wireless infrastructure.

Plotkin and Gilford explored these challenges at a panel organized and moderated by Broadband Breakfast CEO Drew Clark at VON Evolution. They examined how private capital can help bridge broadband gaps as an alternative to, or extension beyond, government funding programs like the $42.5 billion BEAD initiative.

While BEAD will expand service to unserved and underserved areas, Plotkin noted it may have limited impact in locations deemed served. He gave the example of old apartment buildings in New York City that lack modern wiring, leaving residents with poor broadband options.

Gilford explained companies like SIP make investments in physical infrastructure like shared radio access networks and other wireless components. But his company does not build the lower-level fiber networks itself, instead partnering with both municipalities and private providers like Stealth.

Plotkin emphasized fiber remains the “gold standard” for reliable, high-capacity broadband versus other technologies like satellite. But innovations are still needed in running fiber the “last 50 feet” into residences and businesses, including affordably wiring older apartment buildings.

The panelists named immersive extended reality environments, two-way video calling, cloud computing and connected vehicles as emerging applications dependent on robust fiber and wireless networks.

Editor’s note: Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners makes investments in physical infrastructure like shared radio access networks and other wireless components, but does not actually invest in fiber routes or cell towers, as was stated in a prior version of this story. Additionally, SIP is not best described as a venture capital spin-off of Google, but as a technology-enabled builder of infrastructure backed by institutional investors including Alphabet. The story has been corrected.

Register for Digital Infrastructure Investment in Washington on December 5, 2023!

Licensed-by-rule refers largely to the system by which the Citizens’ Broadband Radio Service operates, or something similar. The CBRS allocates 150 megahertz of spectrum among three tiers of users: government agencies, license holders on certain bands, and general access users who use the remaining spectrum opportunistically.

Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Program at think tank New America, said the framework can help address increasing spectrum demand. Much low and mid-band spectrum is allocated to incumbents, like the military and radar system administrators, who cannot move their systems to another band.

“And even when it is possible to clear bands, it often costs more than an auction could raise and takes too long,” he said at a Broadband Breakfast Live Online panel.

But those incumbents rarely use all the capacity they were allocated or purchased at auction, Calabrese said, making a CBRS-style system a good way to open some spectrum to mobile and broadband providers.

Andrew Clegg, a spectrum engineering lead at Google, agreed. 

“If you can’t clear a band, this is one of the next best things you can do with it,” he said.

Google is one of six Spectrum Access System operators in the United States. The company controls one of the systems that allocates free CBRS spectrum to general access users while avoiding interference with incumbents.

Doug Brake, the assistant vice president of policy communications at CTIA, the trade group representing wireless mobile providers, was less convinced about licensed-by-rule frameworks.

“This technique is not ready for primetime and should not be the model going forward,” he said.

He favored more exclusively licensed spectrum, which is how the majority of CTIA members operate. He cited the higher power levels operators can use, and thus larger geographic areas they can serve, when spectrum is exclusively allocated to one provider.

Clegg disagreed. He said for the purposes of broadband adoption, the CBRS has already been successful. He pointed to the nearly 400,000 CBRS stations Google oversees.

“You wouldn’t have had that if the Department of Defense had just kept control of the band and had never shared it,” he said.

The panel was in broad agreement that different licensing schemes suit different situations.

“There are many tools in the toolbox we can use to make bands work for the most users,” said Traci Biswese, vice president and general counsel at NCTA, the trade group representing cable broadband and television companies.

“Admittedly, there are still certain technical challenges that remain when it comes to spectrum sharing,” said Andrew Drozd, head of research firm ANDRO Computational Solutions. “We haven’t solved everything.”

But spectrum sharing still represents a more efficient way of using the finite spectrum available, he said.

Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. Watch the event on Broadband Breakfast, or REGISTER HERE to join the conversation.

Wednesday, October 18 – Spectrum Sharing: How Promising and How Real Is It?

The practice of spectrum sharing, where multiple operators coexist within the same bandwidth, is often lauded as a solution to the limited availability of spectrum. Some view it as a promising avenue for advancing 5G technology and beyond, potentially with the aid of artificial intelligence. However, critics contend that crowding may hinder and degrade connectivity performance. In light of the FCC’s recent plans to open up more spectrum for commercial use, what lies ahead for spectrum management and licensing? How can regulators strike a balance between expanding sharing opportunities and ensuring optimal connectivity?

Panelists

• Michael Calabrese, Director, Wireless Future Program, New America’s Open Technology Institute
• Traci Biswese, Vice President and Associate General Counsel at NCTA – The Internet & Television Association
• Dr. Andrew Drozd, President and CEO of ANDRO Computational Solutions
• Doug Brake, Assistant Vice President of Policy Communications, CTIA: The Wireless Association
• Andrew Clegg, Spectrum Engineering Lead, Google
• Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Panelist resources

• Solving the Spectrum Crunch: Dynamic Spectrum Management Systems, by Michael Calabrese, October 2023

Michael A. Calabrese is a graduate of Stanford Law and Business Schools (JD/MBA) and of Harvard College. He directs the Wireless Future Program at New America’s Open Technology Institute, a non-profit think tank based in Washington, D.C and is a DSA Member. He develops and advocates policies to promote ubiquitous, fast and affordable wireless broadband connectivity, including the reallocation of prime spectrum for unlicensed access, next generation Wi-Fi, and dynamic spectrum sharing.

Traci Biswese is Vice President and Associate General Counsel at NCTA – The Internet & Television Association. Her advocacy focuses on spectrum policy, artificial intelligence,
cybersecurity, and supply chain matters. She is passionate about advancing the interests of the internet and television industry, and strives to contribute to the innovation, growth, and diversity of the sector.

Doug Brake is assistant vice president of policy communications at CTIA: The Wireless Association. He’s been engaged in broadband and spectrum policy for over ten years—before CTIA he worked at in government at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and before that at the innovation-focused think tank, the Information Technology and Innovation foundation.

Dr. Andrew Drozd is a Technology Innovator, Executive Leader, Entrepreneur, and President/CEO of ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC – a scientific R&D company he founded in 1994 headquartered in Rome, NY with offices in Syracuse, N.Y., Dayton, Ohio and San Diego, California. At ANDRO, he leads scientific research and development on the cutting edge of the nexus of wireless communications, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Andy holds 19 patents in the areas of wireless communications and AI, radio spectrum governance, and novel applications of blockchain. In his over 45-year career, Andy’s has earned a number of professional credentials that include: certification by the international Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers; IEEE Life Fellow; past president and board member of the global IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Society; member of the FCC’s Communications, Security, Reliability, Interoperability Council (CSRIC VIII); member of the Open-RAN Alliance for 5G; and was inducted into the Rome Academy of Sciences Hall of Fame in 2019.

Andrew Clegg is spectrum engineering lead for Google. He was instrumental in creating the CBRS band, and has also been involved in 6 GHz AFC. Prior to Google, he created the first-ever spectrum-related grant program at the National Science Foundation.

Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing campaign for broadband data. As Editor and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media company advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.

As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE to the Broadband Breakfast YouTube channel. That way, you will be notified when events go live. Watch on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

See a complete list of upcoming and past Broadband Breakfast Live Online events.

Speaking on a panel at WISPAPALOOZA, the annual conference of small and fixed wireless internet providers, WISPA lawyers and policy heads touted a recent win on the Citizen’s Broadband Radio Service. The group is now making arguments for unlicensed use in the 12.20 to 13.50 GHz and 42 to 42.5 GHz bands, among others.

The CBRS is 150 megahertz of spectrum from 3550 MHz to 3700 MHz. It is available for use on a tiered basis. Government agencies get first preference, followed by those who purchased a “Priority Access License” from the FCC. The band is open at no cost for general access use, provided users do not interfere with the top two access tiers.

The Department of Defense manages a “dynamic protection area” system that tier-one users can use to activate CBRS bands in certain areas, kicking off PAL and general access users temporarily.

WISPA has been meeting with the DoD and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to push them to ensure government users are activating DPAs judiciously, said Richard Bernhardt, the group’s vice president of spectrum and industry.

The group’s concern, he said, is that government agencies will disrupt WISPs operating on the CBRS if they activate protection areas for longer or on more bands than is necessary.

“Sharing doesn’t mean ‘just give us the crumbs that come out at the end.’ It means sharing,” he said.

WISPA is coming off a recent win on CBRS. The FCC changed on September 19 the frequency with which users are reauthorized in certain areas.  In areas and bands not essential for government operations – the bottom 150 MHz and top 50 MHz outside of coastal DPAs – the commission extended that time from five minutes to 24 hours. 

That will allow for more consistent service for WISPs using the CBRS because they will no longer be kicked off the spectrum for short disruptions in communication with the FCC’s spectrum access system.

There were originally two separate proceedings before the FCC dealing with 12,20 to 12.70 GHz and 12.70 to 13.25 GHz. The commission joined them in May into a single preceding, for which the comment period ended on September 8.

WISPA is pushing for sharing in the bands on an opportunistic basis, said Steve Coran, WISPA’s counsel and an attorney at Lerman Senter. That would allow WISPs to use spectrum without impeding incumbents already in the band.

Coran said this has a better chance of succeeding on the lower spectrum band, 12.20 to 12.7- GHz.

“Reading the tea leaves,” he said, the top band “seems to be set up for mobile.” But the lower band has less competition.

“I’m seeing a clear path on that,” he said.

The FCC also released in June a proposal on making 500 MHZ from 42 to 42.5 GHz available for use.

Comments ended on that proceeding about two weeks ago. WISPA’s filings make familiar proposals: the group wants non-exclusive licensing with an automatic frequency control system to prevent interference.

Providers would be able to operate in an area for 10 years, provided they deploy infrastructure within a year of receiving authorization.

There are other proposals, Coran said, including mobile use and a spectrum sensing plan from Qualcomm. 

But Coran said he was not clear no how much energy is behind those arguments. “I don’t even know if they believe what they’re asking for,” Coran said of the Qualcomm proposal.

Technology codes and BEAD

The FCC also introduced a new technology code for its Broadband Data Collection program. Code 72 now houses fixed wireless internet using licensed-by-rule spectrum. That includes providers using the CBRS.

“We got pretty concerned,” said Louis Peraertz, WISPA’s vice president of policy.

That’s because the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program does not specify whether to categorize CBRS and similarly distributed spectrum as licensed or unlicensed. The program’s rules exclude unlicensed spectrum from the definition of reliable broadband, making the technology ineligible for BEAD funding.

WISPA heads met with the NTIA in January to voice concerns, but the agency did not give them a clear answer on what it plans to do about licensed-by-rule spectrum, Peraertz said.

“Sometimes more bandwidth isn’t the answer,” said Dwayne Zimerman, owner of Crowsnest Broadband. He spoke on a panel at WISPAPALOOZA, the annual conference of small and wireless internet providers.

Capacity planning

Putting energy into good capacity planning can help wireless providers avoid crowded networks, Zimmerman said. 

That involves being aware of the maximum capacity a network’s access point is able to handle and the typical usage of the subscribers on the access point. Users tend to average about 5 megabits per second regardless of the speed they subscribe to, Zimmerman said.

But providers should keep enough headroom – free capacity on top of the 5 Mbps per user – on an access point for a subscriber to use the entirety of their plan. That will allow users to run speed tests and do other activities with the full bandwidth they subscribe to without compromising the experience of other users.

Capacity can vary over the course of a day based on environmental factors and usage, Zimmerman said, so providers should use a threshold lower than the technical maximum capacity of an access point for planning purposes.

Bufferbloat

Providers should also be aware of bufferbloat, said Jose Lopez, CEO of network optimization company Bequant.

Bufferbloat is excessive latency caused by more data being sent to a point in a network than can be processed. This leads to packets of data waiting for long periods of time in a queue before continuing.

This is sometimes caused by congestion control algorithms, Lopez said. These algorithms are usually based on packet loss, meaning the lower throughput when packets of data start to get dropped from the queue.

But this can happen for other reasons than a network operating at maximum capacity, Lopez said, causing speeds to slow down when a network can in fact handle more.

He said non-loss-based congestion algorithms, both at servers and at points on networks, can help cut down on bufferbloat.

Traffic management and net neutrality

Another tool many providers use is traffic management, which involves temporarily limiting download and upload speeds at certain times and for certain applications.

Providers should be mindful of the proposed reinstatement of net neutrality rules from the Federal Communications Commission, the panel agreed. When net neutrality was first put in place in 2015, traffic management was allowed, but only when networks were congested.

The FCC will vote on putting its proposal up for public comment at its open meeting on October 19. If that goes forward, the commission will be seeking comment on whether to keep that exemption in place.

The $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program prioritizes fiber because of the high speeds it is capable of providing. BEAD guidelines exclude unlicensed spectrum from its definition of reliable broadband and require states to consider non-fiber technologies only when fiber would be too expensive to deploy.

States can set the cost threshold at which they do that. This is where WISPs – wireless internet service providers – can push for inclusion in BEAD plans, said Steve Schwebel, WISPA’s state advocacy manager. 

Some states will not be able to get fiber to every household lacking adequate broadband with their BEAD allocations, Schwebel said, and WISPs should talk with state broadband offices about setting a low enough threshold to allow fixed wireless providers to compete for grants in hard-to-reach areas.

“We can be a good partner in helping a state find a solution to that problem,” he said at WISPAPALOOZA, the annual conference of small and fixed wireless broadband providers.

The trade group has hired state lobbying group 50State to help in this effort. Colm O’Comartun, a partner at the firm, echoed Schwebel’s sentiment.

He encouraged WISPs to think about “regular engagement with our local elected officials and regulators.”

WISPA had a hand in setting Ohio’s high-cost threshold – about $5,100 per location – for a state grant program, Schwebel said. He added Pennsylvania is also consulting with WISPA on its BEAD threshold.

States are in the process of drafting initial proposals for implementing the program, due to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration by December 7. Those proposals will outline states’ plans for their high-cost thresholds.

Schwebel also encouraged WISPs to fill out Broadband Data Collection forms with information on locations they provide with broadband service. Participating in the recently launched Federal Communication Commission program keeps states informed on how fixed wireless providers are already operating in their communities and helps maintain good relationships with state officials, he said.

BDC data is due to the FCC each year on March 1 and September 1.

“We’re continuing our aggressive advocacy to overturn the deeply flawed decision,” said Louis Peraertz, WISPA’s vice president of policy, in an address to the group at its yearly conference WISPAPALOOZA.

The notice of funding opportunity for the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program excludes from the definition of reliable broadband fixed wireless technology that operates on entirely unlicensed spectrum – spectrum bands not licensed to designated carriers by the Federal Communications Commission. That makes areas served by some WISPA member providers open to infrastructure projects funded by the program.

WISPA’s arguments against the provision, Peraertz said, have “received support from several congressional offices.”

The group is also pushing state broadband offices to make BEAD funds available to fixed wireless providers. Steven Schwerbel, WISPA’s state advocacy manager, said WISPA had a hand in setting Ohio’s planned extremely high cost threshold, the point at which the state will look to technologies other than fiber-optic cable to keep costs down.

“Thanks to our input, that threshold is being set in a way that will allow our members to compete for state grant dollars as widely as possible,” he said.

Pennsylvania’s broadband office is in active talks with WISPA about its high-cost threshold, according to Schwerbel.

States are in the process of submitting BEAD initial proposals to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, due by December 27. They come in two volumes, the second of which includes the high-cost threshold and other grant awarding procedures.

WISPA is also meeting with Federal Communications Commission officials to argue for changes in the commission’s plan to reinstate net neutrality rules, saying its members do not have the market share to engage in the anti-competitive practices the rules are designed to prevent.

The FCC will vote on putting its plan up for public comment at its open meeting on October 19.

Frequency and approved devices

Devices communicating with radio frequencies regulated by the Federal Communications Commission must undergo an approval process, said Jason Guzzo, CEO of broadband provider Hudson Valley Wireless. 

That’s usually handled by manufacturers, but carriers should be aware of equipment produced by companies that violate the Secure Networks Act – namely Huawei and ZTE. These and three other Chinese companies are compliant from a technical perspective, but are deemed national security threats under the act, Guzzo said. 

The act allocated $1.9 billion for small providers to replace equipment from Huawei and ZTE, but the FCC and providers have signaled this is almost certain to be deficient by roughly $3 billion. The deadline for the initial round of funding passed on July 15, with efforts to top up the fund currently stymied in Congress. 

There is also an upcoming addition to the standard 2.4 and 5 Gigahertz frequency bands open for unlicensed use, said Josh Luthman, president of Imagine Networks. In 2020, the FCC freed up the 6 Ghz band, making over 1,200 Mhz available for devices to connect to the internet, 850 of which can be used outdoors. 

But the soon-to-be-deployed devices using that band, Luthman cautioned, will have to use an automatic frequency coordinator, a system that confirms connected devices are not interfering with licensed frequencies. 

Towers

For fixed wireless carriers looking to construct new towers, Guzzo said, there are three main considerations: endangered species, Tribal sites, and airports.

The FCC requires tower projects to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, which involves reporting the environmental impacts of a planned project. That will involve a screening for endangered species with tools from the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“They just want to make sure you’re not kicking the birds out to put the tower systems in there,” Guzzo said.

But the presence of endangered species does not mean a project will be scrapped, he noted. Regulatory agencies, both local and federal, will typically work with providers to make a plan for building a tower without disturbing the habitat.

For projects accepting federal funding, a notification will be sent to Tribal communities in the state, as well as Tribes who moved through the area before settling in their current location, to ensure the project will not disturb culturally significant sites like burials.

“A lot of our deployments are in New York State, and we’ve had projects that are weighed in on by the Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma,” Guzzo said.

This process can be lengthy and expensive if there are questions about the significance of the project site, he said, sometimes involving a certified archaeologist coming to the site.

Guzzo noted ballasts are an option to avoid disturbing significant land.

As for the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency generally requires towers above 200 feet to be registered and marked with lights and bright paint. Towers close to that might require a surveyor to get exact measurements, Guzzo said.

For towers close to airports, that height threshold can be as low as 50 feet. If a tower is set to lie in the path of descending planes, some additional FAA paperwork will be required to ensure the tower will not pose a hazard.

Poles

For providers who are registered as telecommunications carriers – which some small broadband providers are, by virtue of providing voice or data transmission services – the FCC ensures they can make deals with utility companies to attach equipment to poles and regulates the terms of those deals. Those terms are the subject of some contention, with telecom companies and utilities disagreeing on who should bear the brunt of pole replacement costs.

But some states have their own laws on pole attachments that supersede the FCC’s, noted Rebecca Jacobs Goldman, chair of a cybersecurity practice group at Lerman Senter. Knowing which regulations apply in a project’s jurisdiction is key for successful deployments, she said.

But even for strictly broadband providers, section 253 of the Communications Act of 1934, the same act regulating telecom pole access, can assist in getting equipment deployed, Goldman said. While not applicable to investor-owned utilities, the section prevents state and local governments from putting up significant barriers to broadband deployment.

That can help when negotiating management fees and terms of public property access, Goldman said.

“It’s a great statute to have in your back pocket,” she said.

The FCC announced in September that it is looking to reinstate rules that would classify broadband providers as telecommunications carriers, which would change pole attachment rules and add to the regulations governing broadband providers. The commission will vote on putting the move up for public comment at its open meeting on October 19.

WISPA has urged the FCC to differentiate between small and large broadband providers, arguing its members have too little market share to engage in the anti-competitive practices the rules are meant to curb and are unable to handle the regulatory burden.

As part of the settlement – the first space debris enforcement action from the commission – DISH agreed to pay a $150,000 fine and adhere to a compliance plan.

When the company’s EchoStar-7 satellite reached the end of its life, the order read, DISH moved it 122 kilometers above its normal position into a disposal orbit – an orbit designated for old and unused equipment that sits far away from currently operating satellites and communication equipment.

But DISH had agreed as part of its operating license to put the satellite almost 180 km further into space by May 2022.

The company was unable to fully move the satellite because it ran out of fuel in February of that year. But the failure to comply with its FCC license still constituted a violation of the Communications Act of 1934, the agency said in a statement, and the dead satellite “could pose orbital debris concerns.”

The first-of-its-kind fine comes as the FCC is looking to expand its regulatory presence in space and crack down on debris orbiting the planet. The commission established its Space Bureau this year and adopted a rule in September 2022 shortening the window for companies to dispose of satellites after they complete their missions.

The commission also voted in September 2023 to streamline satellite application processing.

“As satellite operations become more prevalent and the space economy accelerates, we must be certain that operators comply with their commitments,” FCC Enforcement Bureau chief  Loyaan Egal said.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in September the commission is working on new regulatory frameworks to support satellite-to-smartphone communications.

The proposal would open up 850 megahertz of the 6 GHz band – about two thirds of the band’s spectrum – for very low power, or VLP, operation. 

That means VLP devices could use radio waves set to frequencies in the allowed range to communicate with wireless routers. The commission first opened up the 6GHz range for unlicensed Wi-Fi connectivity use, meaning device manufacturers do not need specific permission from the FCC to use those frequencies, in 2020.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the proposed addition of VLP devices to that band would help meet growing demand for unlicensed spectrum.

“Wi-Fi connectivity over unlicensed spectrum is the oxygen that sustains much of our everyday lives,” she said.

The proposed order does not go as far as some Wi-Fi advocates wanted. More than a dozen groups signed a letter urging the FCC to open all 1,200 MHz of the 6GHz band for VLP use, citing a desire to keep future technologies accessible.

The proposed report and order, circulated Wednesday to commissioners, puts off enacting rules on allowing low power devices to use slightly more power while indoors, another change the advocates wanted to see, instead opting to take more public comments on the move. 

It would also seek comment on expanding VLP use to the entirety of the band, something the FCC took comments on when it first opened the band for unlicensed use in 2020.

Apple has been urging the FCC to open the band to more mobile applications, such as smartphones, watches and headphones. At 16 times lower power than the standard Wi-Fi, VLP “greatly reduces the risk of harmful interference,” the company said in a presentation to the commission earlier this year. 

The commissioners will vote on the proposal at FCC’s open meeting on October 19, barring a government shutdown.

Thursday’s vote proposes to help dictate the eligibility requirements for areas in need of support of the 5G Rural Fund for America.

The commission proposed adjusting the $9-billion budget allocated for the 5G Fund, the optimal methodology for consolidating eligible areas into smaller geographic regions for bidding, the feasibility to extend 5G Fund support to qualifying regions in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, possibly mandating cybersecurity and supply chain risk management plans for 5G Fund recipients, and the possibility of whether the 5G Fund should be utilized to encourage the deployment of Open Radio Access Networks.

“What this means is that as we develop the 5G Fund and build the successor to our existing universal service program supporting wireless networks in rural America, known as the Mobility Fund, we will be able to incorporate this detailed picture of where service is and is not,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said. “We will be able to see gaps in coverage and ensure support actually reaches the communities that need it most.”

Meredith Attwell Baker, president and CEO of industry association CTIA, praised the commission’s decision “for recognizing the crucial role that mobile wireless services play in keeping Americans connected.”

“Implementing the 5G Fund and using the FCC’s new maps will help extend the benefits of advanced 5G services to more communities and consumers,” she said.

Tim Donovan, president and CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association, also praised the decision, saying the 5G Fund “has been a top priority for CCA, and we will continue to work with the Commission and our members to ensure the final rules preserve and expand mobile broadband access to every American.”

The commission also adopted Thursday new regulations to expedite space applications, the availability of spectrum resources for space launches, old rules to combat robocallers, and handed down over $100 million in fines.

FCC space and spectrum allocations

The FCC unanimously ratified the Expediting Initial Processing of Satellite and Earth State Applications Space Innovation, which is the adoption of new rules to expedite its processing of space and earth station applications.

It also unanimously ratified new rules ensuring that commercial space launches have the necessary spectrum resources for reliable communication. These adoptions will “promote safety, competition, innovation, and continued American leadership in the new Space Age,” the agency said. The new rules will also provide an allocation within the 2025 to 2110 MHz band for ground-to-launch vehicle telecommand which is needed for space launch operations, and make “the entire 2200 to 2290 MHz band available for launch telemetry.”

“I believe that the most important part of streamlining the FCC’s application processing procedures is ensuring swift and efficient FCC action—which will maintain U.S. leadership in the satellite communications service industry. It will also nurture the growth of the broader space sector, which includes new and innovative manufacturing processes, robotics, earth surveillance and exploration and other future innovations,” Commissioner Nathan Simington said.

Robocallers losing access to phone numbers

The FCC also voted in favor of adopting rules that would modernize the commission’s requirements on how Voice over Internet Protocol providers get direct access to telephone numbers.

The adoption sets in motion parameters to limit access to “phone numbers by perpetrators of illegal robocalls, protect national security and law enforcement, safeguard the nation’s finite numbering resources, reduce the opportunity for regulatory arbitrage, and further promote public safety.”

In line with the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, the new rules will require applicants to submit additional disclosures and certifications in regard to their “ownership structures and compliance with the Commission’s rules and state law and takes targeted steps to address the concerns” that were raised in the rulemaking.

These rules consist of making robocall-related certifications that will help ensure compliance with the commission’s rules targeting illegal robocalls; to keep and disclose current information about ownership, including foreign ownership, that will alleviate the risk of providing violators abroad with access to U.S. numbering resources; guarantee their compliance with other commission rules that are applicable to interconnected VoIP providers including particular public safety and access stimulation rules, and requirements to submit timely FCC Forms 477 and 499 filings; and compliance with state laws and registration requirements that apply to businesses in each state where numbers are requested.

FCC fines Dorsher Enterprise $116 million

The FCC additionally adopted a $116,156,250 fine against the Dorsher Enterprise, a group consisting of Thomas Dorsher, ChariTel, OnTel, and ScammerBlaster.

The Commission’s investigation revealed that the group promoted themselves as a crusade fighting against scam robocalls at the same “illegally robocalling toll free numbers” and used credits from their scam “to fund telephony denial of service (TDoS) attacks on other entities.”

The parties in the group, which allegedly made nearly 10 million robocalls to generate toll free dialing fees, are jointly liable for the fine.

“Dorsher’s claim that he was actually trying to ‘shut down scammers’ is meritless in the face of these facts,” Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said. “As I have said repeatedly, there are numerous hurdles to finding these bad actors, and bringing them to account for violations of our rules. I am pleased to see another example of how, by working together, we can untangle these schemes and protect consumers.”

The fund has been in limbo since 2020 due to mapping issues. It makes $9 billion available for 5G mobile broadband infrastructure in areas unlikely to be served without subsidies.

With access to newer, granular data on mobile broadband coverage in the U.S., the FCC released on August 31 a notice proposing updates to the program’s methodologies for defining areas eligible for funding and seeking comment on potential new provisions like extending support to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The proposal is slated to be discussed at the agency’s open meeting on September 21. 

Ahead of that discussion, the Rural Wireless Association has met with FCC officials five times in the last month to reiterate the same concerns over the program’s reverse auction model. Under this procedure, providers would compete to develop the cheapest cost structure for serving an area with the minimum required speeds – at least 35 Mbps upload and 3 Mbps download in the case of the 5G Fund.

Rural providers are concerned because some areas served by carriers receiving support from legacy funding programs like the Mobility Fund will be eligible for auction. If those carriers lose at auction, the RWA says, the reduction in federal funds might make them unable to continue operating their infrastructure and leave other areas covered by their networks without service.

“There is no ‘safety valve’ put in place that would protect these networks built with federal dollars and maintained by legacy support mobile carriers,” the association wrote in an ex parte filing on Wednesday.

The RWA has proposed the commission seek comment on allowing these providers to opt out of the reverse auction if they are an area’s sole mobile carrier. In such a scenario, the group also wants the FCC to consider subsidizing 5G upgrades based on predicted costs.

Satellites can be used to bring responsive broadband connections to nations without widely available internet access, an element of the United Nations’ plan to eliminate poverty, said Michele Di Paolo, director of business development and product lifecycle management at satellite provider SpaceBridge.

“It’s something that can’t be overstated,” he said at an event hosted by Via Satellite magazine. “It’s a very important part of satellite’s benefits.”

These connections allow communities to access banking, healthcare, and education services that would otherwise never have been available in their areas, Di Paulo said.

He pointed to villages he worked with in Kenya and Nigeria that were too far from city centers to access their ground-based networks. Healthcare centers struggled to run applications properly on outdated 2G connections, he said.

New satellites enabled them to access broadband connections and function normally, as well as add residents to national registries and arrange consultations with specialists for people who need advanced treatment.

Satellites are also being used to connect the most remote regions of Canada. Subsidized by Canadian broadband expansion initiatives, satellites provide the country’s sparsely populated Nunavut territory with connections in excess of 15 Gbps, according to Di Paulo.

“This is really bridging the divide between the urbans and the ultra-rurals,” Di Paulo said. “It’s going to be a game-changer for them.

In March, the Federal Communications Commission proposed a framework for allowing satellite operators to collaborate with terrestrial networks to supplement mobile broadband connections.

The research shows that at least 150 megahertz of spectrum in the lower 3 GHz band can be made available for exclusive, full-power, licensed commercial use in the United States while protecting key military radar and systems. 

“The best evidence that 5G can co-exist with the Pentagon’s operations is what is happening around the globe in allied nations,” said Meredith Baker, CTIA president and CEO. “These real-world examples demonstrate a clear path forward to make available at least 150 megahertz of lower 3 GHz spectrum for full power 5G services while safeguarding the military systems protecting Americans.” 

According to the report, more than 50 countries, including several U.S. allies, operate full power 5G networks in the lower 3 GHz band and 20 more countries are expected to join them in the coming years. 

“Throughout Asia, nearly 20 countries have deployed in the lower 3 GHz band, with several demonstrating successful coexistence between 5G and U.S. military radar systems,” read the report. Japan reportedly features several U.S. radar systems amid extensive 5G deployments with a well-established host nation agreement that coordinates with the U.S. military to ensure systems do not interfere. Other countries include South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. 

The CTIA also cites studies that show how 5G operates today alongside the same Department of Defense systems that are used domestically, which highlights that 5G can operate in the 3.3-3.45 GHz band in the U.S. while fully preserving national security, read the press release. 

According to the report, the real-world evidence demonstrates how proven coordination methods are “already facilitating simultaneous use of the band by 5G and military radars.” It said that coordination techniques – such as retuning, compression, and frequency coordination – provide assurance that 5G networks can be deployed in the U.S. at full power in lower 3 GHz spectrum without harmful government interference. 

“It is well-established that the U.S. needs additional commercial mid-band spectrum to meet increasing consumer demands for wireless data, enhance our national security and secure our leadership of the innovations and industries of the future,” said Baker. “We should ensure U.S. policy promotes 5G deployment in the United States in a manner consistent with how spectrum is being used in the rest of the world.” 

“The clear trend of growing commercial use of the lower 3 GHz band internationally, as well as the actual use of 5G near military bases around the globe, should be fully reflected in the Administration and Congress’s evaluation of future commercial access to the lower 3 GHz band,” suggested the support.  

It added that “innovation unlocked by high capacity 5G is expected to generate economic growth of up to $1.5 trillion in GDP and 4.5 additional jobs by 2030.”  

A global economics consultancy Brattle Group report in April found that the U.S. needs 400 MHz of full power, licensed spectrum in the next five years to meet projected demand. It found that the deficit will grow by more than 3 times to 1,400 MHz by 2032 to keep up with expected consumer demand.  

“Commercial access in the lower 3 GHz band would help address this shortfall, while also helping to ensure that American consumers benefit from the economies of scale resulting from using internationally harmonized spectrum bands,” read CTIA’s press report. 

“Lower 3 GHz band is a critical component of the spectrum pipeline needed to fuel the growth of 5G, to the benefit of U.S. consumers, enterprises, and government agencies, including the DoD,” read the report. 

The report follows a coalition letter last week in which more than a dozen public interest groups urged the Federal Communications Commission to finalize key issues to free up the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi use. Experts have called for better spectrum regulation and innovation to coordinate better spectrum sharing between commercial use and federal agencies.  

The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition, a coalition of telecommunications industry and public interest leaders committed to policies to improve federal spectrum use, said the proposal will preserve America’s edge in the race to 5G, eliminate barriers to meeting the full potential of the 12.2 GHz band, empower an ecosystem where mid-band spectrum drives innovation and next-generation connectivity for American businesses, and “supercharges” broadband deployment by empowering new technologies without harming existing services operating in the band. 

The coalition asked the FCC to “reconsider decades-old rules that have prevented the commercial incumbents from deploying next generation services in the 12.2 GHz band.”

The band is already allocated for terrestrial mobile service domestically, is only lightly used by fixed satellite and mobile service, and there is only a single federal incumbent at one site, Sweden-based telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson said in its comments, applauding the FCC for identifying bands for 5G and 6G applications. Its comments said that the 12.7 GHz band will be especially useful as a complement band. 

Ericsson urged the FCC to largely adopt the proposal with changes in the technical rules that will promote more expansive and flexible use of the band. The FCC should repurpose the band for flexible, exclusive-use licenses and refrain from adopting sharing rules for the band, “which would limit the ability of licensees’ to deploy robust networks to support advanced technologies,” it said. 

By repurposing this band, the U.S. and the wireless industry will be “well-positioned to take a leading role in pursuing global harmonization,” Ericsson concluded.  

Fixed wireless services are often deployed in economically challenging areas as an alternative to laying cables.

Nokia also expressed its support for the proposed rules. “Continued availability of spectrum for 5G will lay the foundation for the successful evolution to 5G-advanced and 6G,” Nokia wrote. “The nation must find ways to ensure a steady supply of spectrum in different frequency ranges – low, medium and high bands. Spectrum is the lifeblood for communications services, and it also drives U.S. competitiveness.” 

The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Ranking Member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, D-New Jersey, expressing its interest in working with them and the FCC to “act quickly on this critical issue.” 

“This rulemaking represents a significant opportunity for the Commission to modernize decades-old rules and unlock critical capacity in the 12.2 GHz spectrum band for the next generation of high powered, two-way terrestrial fixed service,” read comments by telecom trade association INCOMPAS.  

It added that increased competition in mid-band spectrum will “encourage more innovation, more choices, and greater opportunities for customers, particularly those that stand to benefit in unserved and underserved communities.” 

INCOMPAS added that the proceeding can represent a “win-win situation for the U.S. by accommodating satellite and terrestrial operations in the 12.2 GHz band. By allowing industry to bring its sharing technologies to this mid-band spectrum, the FCC can expand its flexible use of the band, connect more Americans to the next generation of technologies, and protect existing licensees from harmful interference.” 

The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association urged the FCC in comments to enable access to the 12.2 GHz band for fixed terrestrial use on a secondary, shared basis with operations coordinated through an automated frequency coordination system to ensure incumbent licensees are protected from harmful interference.  

In July, the FCC proposed rules that would make it easier for satellite service providers to get across to already-licensed mobile wireless spectrum to help on-the-ground mobile wireless companies cover dead spots they can’t reach. Commenters expressed concern that the proposed rules are “premature” and could be competitively harmful. 

Earlier this month, the FCC also released an inquiry into non-federal spectrum usage, particularly how new data sources and artificial intelligence technology can aid spectrum management.

Next generation 5G fixed wireless access is the latest technology disrupting the broadband landscape by offering consumers a cheaper, faster, and more widely available internet connection than traditional wired technologies. Essentially, this technology harnesses the power of 5G wireless networks to deliver high-speed internet via electromagnetic spectrum instead of coaxial cable or fiber.

This means that more homes and businesses can access the high-speed internet they need to work and live in the 21^st century. We know that far too many rural areas of the United States still lack reliable high-speed internet connectivity due to the overwhelming cost and deployment challenges of traditional wired technologies.

Outside of our urban cores and highway corridors, many modern life-enhancing technologies remain unavailable. For underserved constituencies, health outcomes are less positive; educational and business opportunities are more limited; and a myriad of other harms are borne by our more rural constituencies.

5G Fixed Wireless Access provides new opportunities

But 5G FWA stands to finally connect those communities that remain unserved or underserved. Because this technology can span distances and cross terrains that coaxial and fiber cannot, at a fraction of the cost, more communities will be connected using 5G FWA than ever before

Nowhere, however, is the opportunity to deploy this new technology more apparent than on Tribal lands. Native Americans living on Tribal lands experience some of the lowest quality connectivity in the nation. Often, Tribal lands are in the most remote areas of the country where traditional wired broadband technology is unavailable. And when that technology is available, monthly broadband service fees are cost prohibitive.

While recent initiatives like the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program are worth applauding, we still have a long way to go in connecting Tribal lands. Even the Federal Communications Commission’s official data, which historically presented an over-rosy picture of the state of the digital divide, shows less than 50% of Native American households have fixed broadband coverage, which is more than 25 percentage points lower than non-Tribal areas.

The situation quickly goes from bad to worse when you attach dollars and cents to the data. For instance, Tribes such as the Navajo Nation are paying an increased cost of anywhere from $20 to $40 per month (or more) compared to other parts of the U.S., making broadband more expensive to some of the least-resourced communities in the country.

The federal government knows this and is looking to tackle the digital divide through programs such as its $42 billion investment in digital equality via the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program.  However, we may miss a major opportunity to finally connect all areas of the country, including Tribal lands, if we don’t leverage 5G FWA technology that is disrupting the broadband market today.

While many Tribal communities own all the natural resources on their lands, one natural resource- electromagnetic spectrum- remains under the control of the FCC.  And this is for a good reason — spectrum is a finite resource that must be controlled almost like a highway, so that it can be used most efficiently with minimal interference.

Recognizing that it is in the public interest to grant Tribal communities’ access to spectrum to improve broadband connectivity, the FCC allowed Tribal access to specific spectrum bands to build out new wireless networks. However, the most recent 2.5 GHz Tribal access window closed before the BEAD program was conceived, and so many Tribal communities cannot take advantage of this critical combination of technology and funds.

Perhaps an overlooked, but meaningful opportunity to change the face of connectivity on rural and Native lands in light of disruptive 5G FWA technology, would be to allow rural and Tribal communities access to more spectrum just in time for the disbursement of BEAD funds. And the perfect candidate for this access would be the 12 GHz band.

FCC has the opportunity to use 12GHz to enhance digital equity

After more than two years of studying the 12 GHz band, reviewing numerous engineering studies, and listening to all sides of the debate, the FCC has an opportunity to greatly enhance current digital equity efforts by unlocking the 12 GHz band to enable local 5G FWA implementation.

Taking this step would go a long way toward alleviating the digital challenges facing Native American communities because wireless networks are a proven solution to the distance and terrain challenges of these lands. Providing increased connectivity options – at faster speeds, for less money – will reduce the digital divide and bring more communities online who can reap the benefits of today’s technologies. And doing so before the once in a generation $42 billion investment in connectivity is simply smart governing.

Government agencies rarely have the opportunity to significantly and immediately improve the lives of unserved and underserved constituencies, but this is one of those moments for the FCC. The 21^st century is the dawn of the digital era – and it is well past time that we work to ensure that everyone, regardless of location or Native nation, shares in the bounty of the innovations and disruptions of this digital revolution.

Sascha Meinrath is a Penn State telecommunications professor and founder of X-Lab – a think tank dedicated to achieving digital equality. This piece is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.

That goal, set by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, and the billions of dollars and new tools available to fill existing gaps in coverage will give policymakers, communities, and industry stakeholders a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity to bridge the digital divide in the United States.

Now, the real work begins: determining how 50 states and six territories will put that funding to work.

No family left behind

There are severe consequences for those affected by insufficient or slow implementation of broadband service, as highlighted by a recent study from the National Skills Coalition, which emphasized the importance of digital skills for more than 92% of today’s jobs.

A lack of access to reliable internet not only prevents individuals from acquiring those crucial skills and limits their employment opportunities, but also hinders them from using the myriad of internet-driven resources to which families have become accustomed for healthcare, education, employment, public safety, social survival, and more. Those waiting on broadband access are at a serious disadvantage, which is why we must ensure that no American family is left behind.

Finite finances

Despite the many funding initiatives aimed to solve the problem in the U.S., those finances are finite and currently trending in a “fiber-first” direction. Fiber is great where attainable, but this approach overlooks the important realities of providing reliable broadband to underserved areas at scale, which indicate that fiber alone would require far more funding than what is currently available.

With the average cost to connect fiber to every home in a given state hovering in the neighborhood of $7,000 per home, some simple math comparing a state’s BEAD funding allocation to the number of households in the state would demonstrate a significant gap between the funding available and the funding actually required to close the digital divide with a fiber-only strategy.

The $42.45 billion set aside for the BEAD program has vast potential in the pursuit of 100% coverage. But the strong fiber bias that persists in the world of broadband funding means that underserved communities remain at risk of being left behind. If we rely solely on fiber, an objective analysis of the true cost and operational mechanics of fiber deployment in digital divide projects shows that both time and money will run out long before we reach millions of American families that are still waiting on adequate internet access.

Technology advances

Thanks to recent technological advancements, there are new tools available that can efficiently and cost-effectively reach those forgotten by “fiber-first” thinking. Next-generation fixed wireless access is a unique technology category that overcomes two long-battled challenges of the wireless broadband industry:

• Non-line-of-sight capabilities — the ability to maintain high performance despite physical obstacles, such as trees or buildings, between tower and home;
• Interference cancellation — a feature that ensures reliable, high-speed service in crowded (even unlicensed) radio frequencies where there are interfering signals from other devices;

As the first wireless technology to truly deliver on both fronts, ngFWA has rewritten what is possible with wireless broadband. Combining the rapid deployment and scaling benefits of wireless technology with unprecedented reliability and performance, ngFWA is the long-awaited method of filling gaps where fiber is too timely or expensive.

The time is now

For the first time ever, we have what it takes to achieve 100% coverage with readily available funds, and in timelines measured in months rather than years. Opportunities of this magnitude don’t come around often. It is critical that the U.S., state governments, and key stakeholders work together to deliver reliable internet to those still impacted by the digital divide.

A joint effort, in which every possible tool is leveraged to optimally allocate resources and efficiently bring broadband to the unserved, is the only way to reach every American. With billions of dollars at stake, and all of the technological means to get this right, the time is now to bridge the digital divide for every American family.

CEO Mike Sievert said that the company is “always on the hunt” to add capacity to their network through spectrum innovation and expansion. Spectrum is the frequency bands that carry wireless signals and power the country’s mobile and wi-fi networks. The company is working to meet the “growing needs” of its fixed wireless access customers.  

According to Mike Katz, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile’s fixed wireless access network’s net promoter score, a consumer score that determines customer satisfaction, is highest in the broadband category across the United States. 

The company reported that it is the best in the industry for customer growth and is the nationwide overall network leader with the largest 5G network. “We continue to extend our durable network and value leadership over the competition which fuels our growth opportunities,” said Sievert.  

T-Mobile executives said that its cable additions are a result of the company’s launch of Phone Freedom, a phone option that provides customers with a phone plan other than the industry standard, three-year long device contracts.  

This is a unique proposition that resonates with customers, said executives, saying that customers are frustrated with long-term contracts with companies that arbitrarily hike up prices. 

According to Ookla speedtest results, T-Mobile won every category for overall network for the third quarter in a row with undefeated 5G performance. T-Mobile’s network earned the top ranking for fasted mobile network, lowest latency, most consistent, best mobile video, best 5G performance and best 5G consistency. 

The company’s postpaid net account additions of 299,000 were the best in the industry, marking the best Q2 net adds in eight years for the company. It had postpaid service revenue growth of 5 percent up over Q2 in 2022 driven by the continued increase in net additions. Total service revenue increased from $15.3 billion in Q2 2022 to $15.7 billion in Q2 2023, representing a 3 percent growth year over year. Net income of $2.2 billion increased by $2.3 billion year over year. 

AT&T and Verizon asked the commission in January to delay a non-geostationary orbit allocation in the upper 17 GHz band until the commission receives “technical studies and data …show[ing] that current and future NGSO, and [fixed satellite service] operations can coexist at 17.7-17.8.”

Amazon said in a letter filed with the commission on July 20 that the telecoms’ concerns are limited to the upper 100 MHz of the 17 GHz band currently allocated to fixed satellite systems, adding both NGSO and GSO orbit FSS systems already share the significantly more utilized 17.8-18.3 GHz frequency band with FS links domestically. 

It added that this was due to power restrictions in the 17.8-18.3 GHz frequency band, which Amazon has argued in previous meetings with the FCC should also apply in the 17.7-17.8 GHz band, where interference levels will be nearly identical.

Amazon also said the 17.7-17.8 GHz band will experience less interference compared to the 17.8-18.3 GHz band because the former is less utilized by FS systems, resulting in fewer instances of co-channel and co-located usage between NGSO and GSO systems.

“Both the conservatism of Amazon’s model and its outputs demonstrate that there is little likelihood of significant interference—both now and in the future, as NGSO FSS systems expand their terrestrial networks and new operators deploy,” Amazon told the commission after conducting tests. 

Kuiper will produce LEOs that are constantly moving across the sky, as opposed to the stationary geostationary satellites. 

Amazon has said in previous filings that the 17 GHz band would help bridge the digital divide, promote efficient use of spectrum, encourage competition, and harmonize U.S. rules with international allocations.

The letter came before Kuiper announced on Friday that it was investing $120 million in the construction of a new satellite processing facility at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. 

The facility is the latest long-term investment in Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit satellite network that will provide fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world according to a statement by Amazon. 

Kuiper seek to provide broadband access at the speeds of 100Mbps, 400Mbps and 1Gbps according to their website.

“We have an ambitious plan to begin Project Kuiper’s full-scale production launches and early customer pilots next year, and this new facility will play a critical role in helping us deliver on that timeline,” said Steve Metayer, vice president of Kuiper production operations.

More thought should be given to regulation and innovation surrounding receivers of radio signals rather than simply the transmitters, said Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The FCC in coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is tasked with allocating spectrum bands for commercial use. Its authority to auction spectrum lapsed earlier this year for the first time since it was given to the agency. 

The United States must identify everything that it can do differently to be more effective with spectrum sharing, Rosenworcel continued. She emphasized the need for the U.S. to maintain its global leadership in the tech space, particularly in preparation for the world radio conference in December. Many countries, including China, are trying to outpace the United States in this area, which would be detrimental to its global competitiveness, she said.  

Dynamic spectrum sharing is still years away, said John Hunter, vice president of global security and technology policy at AT&T. “We need to change the vernacular of what sharing is,” he said, claiming that technology to enable different signals on the same frequency band of spectrum in a coexistence model is not available.  

Hunter suggested focusing research on ways to partition the band, meaning that instead of sharing the band between government and private use on a dynamic system, the band is separated into different segments and reduces probability of harmful interference.  

Other sharing techniques include a coordinated time-based approach that splits the time each user has access to operate on a specific frequency and a geographic approach that limits the usage of certain bands in areas that have high risk of harmful interference.  

“Economic security is equally as important as national security,” said Hunter, advocating for Congress to allocate more spectrum for commercial use.  

Hunter claimed that current spectrum research fails to consider the harmful interference that private companies face and creates a false narrative that spectrum sharing is plausible. The reality is any interference creates an unsustainable spectrum sharing solution, he said. 

A large portion of this debate centers on the Department of Defense’s use of spectrum. While AT&T doesn’t want to see the DoD lose critical functionality, it is essential that Congress finds ways to balance their needs with consumer needs, said Christopher Boyer, vice president of global security and technology policy at AT&T. 

The NTIA is scheduled to complete its national spectrum strategy, which represents a government-wide approach to maximizing the potential of the nation’s spectrum resources, by the end of the year. The FCC is considering ways to implement artificial intelligence for coordinating spectrum sharing.  

Vestberg said that the customer satisfaction measures for wireless networks are higher than its cable networks. Broadband services are adding to the overall growth of the business, he said — “fixed wireless is here to stay.” 

The company added more than 400,000 net new broadband additions in fiber and fixed wireless access for three consecutive quarters and is on track to meet its goal of having 45 million fixed wireless customers by the end of 2025, it reported.  

The “demonstrates the momentum of our growth trajectory,” said Vestberg. “In broadband, the combination of fixed wireless access and fiber is winning as we capitalize on the unique strengths and capabilities of both technologies.” 

He added that Verizon’s leadership position will continue to be strengthened as the company rolls out and continues to innovate within the 5G network by finding ways to optimize the C-band spectrum, the band of spectrum most suited for 5G applications.  

The company noted that it is continuing to conduct its own internal and third-party investigation into the thousands of lead-sheathed cables that recently received press attention due to their potential to harm Americans. 

Verizon said it will take these concerns seriously, “communities we serve are the heart of everything we do,” said Vestberg. The company will take a “fact and science-based approach” in the assessment of the danger that lead-clad cables pose to communities.  

Tony Skiadas, chief financial officer, said that Verizon’s lead cables do not run into homes and have a low probability of lead exposure to residents when not disturbed. The company refused to present an estimated cost for removal of the cables, saying that there is “no meaningful way” to estimate the cost to the company and that any such estimate would not be useful. 

The company’s total revenue was $32.6 billion, down 3.5 percent from Q2 2022. The company added 2.3 million postpaid wireless additions in the quarter, up 2 percent year over year, for a total retail subscriber base of roughly 114 million. The company in the quarter had 54,000 fiber internet net additions, an increase from 30,000 in Q2 2022. It had net additions of 251,000 for fixed wireless access, with only 168 in Q2 2022. It has a total of 8.4 million broadband subscriptions, a 1 million increase from last year.  

It is critical that the United States reduces its dependency on China in key areas including microelectronics, electric vehicles, solar panels, pharmaceutical ingredients, rare earth minerals processing, and more, said Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, at a Punchbowl News event. He added that it is essential that American companies and governments are aware of their own supply chain risks and vulnerable areas.  

Artificial intelligence can be deployed to understand vulnerabilities in the supply chain, said Carrie Wibben, president of government solutions at supply chain management software company Exiger. 

American adversaries have been using AI for a long time to understand where to penetrate American supply chain ecosystem to obtain a strategic advantage over the country, said Wibben. She reported that the Department of Defense is moving quickly to increase visibility in its supply chain and implement new technology.  

AI and supply chains are the two fronts the U.S. competes in to maintain global dominance, said Wibben. She encouraged the coordination of the two to develop a strategy to keep U.S. global competitiveness and increase national security. 

A major concern in Congress is the nation’s reliance on China for its supply chain, added Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois. He said that the best solution is diversifying in the private sector, meaning that companies have redundant suppliers.  

In many cases, this can be done without government intervention but where the private sector doesn’t have the knowledge base to replicate these systems, it is essential that the government step in and provide incentives, Krishnamoorthi said. Congress has passed several laws, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act that invest billions of dollars into American-made clean energy and semiconductors. 

Krishnamoorthi said that the White House is doing what it can to prevent aggression from the Peoples Republic of China materializing into conflict.  

Need more spectrum 

Allocating more licensed spectrum for commercial use to support 5G is essential to maintaining US competitiveness with China, said panelists at a separate American Enterprise Institute event Thursday.  

Next generation wireless mobile network, 5G, enables higher speeds with low latency and more reliability. For a democratic state, 5G will enable more expression, innovation, human freedom, and opportunities to solve world challenges of health and climate, said Clete Johnson, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. For an authoritarian state, the same technology will enable policing of citizens, social control, and an overarching understanding of what people are doing, said Johnson.  

If the U.S. is behind China in allocating the spectrum that 5G rides on, then China will dominate cyber and information operations, including force projections and more capable weaponry, warned Johnson. “If we don’t lead, China will.” 

“Commercial strength is national security,” said Johnson, referring to the need to allocate spectrum for commercial use.  

China recognizes the value of 5G and how this kind of foundation will enable industrial and commercial activity, said Peter Rysavy, president of wireless consultancy Rysavy Research. The country has allocated three times as much spectrum in the mid-band areas for commercial use than the U.S. has, he said.  

No amount of spectrum efficiency and sharing mechanisms will replace having more spectrum available, added Paroma Sanyal, principal at economic consultancy Brattle Group. The U.S. government needs to get more spectrum into the pipeline, she said. 

A former administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said on a panel last week that national security depends on commercial access to spectrum. “If you take economic security out of the national security equation, you damage national security and vice versa,” John Kneuer said. 

Kneuer suggested that allowing the commercial sector access to more spectrum is beneficial to this goal as it spurs innovation that is a byproduct of increased economic activity that can then spill back into the federal agencies for new capabilities they would not have had otherwise.   

The Federal Communications Commission is evaluating how artificial intelligence can be used in dynamic spectrum sharing to optimize traffic and prevent harmful interference. AI can be used to make congestion control decisions and sense when federal agencies are using the bands to allow commercial use on federally owned spectrum without disrupting high-priority use. 

This comes as the FCC is facing spectrum availability concerns. In its June open meeting, the FCC issued proposed rulemaking that explores how the 42 –42.5 GHz spectrum band might be made available on a shared basis. The agency’s spectrum auction authority, however, expired earlier this year. 

The head of the NTIA announced this week that the national spectrum strategy is set to be complete by the end of the year. It will represent a government-wide approach to maximizing the potential of the nation’s spectrum resources and takes into account input from government agencies and the private sector. 

Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., is heading two bills, the Spectrum Relocation Enhancement Act and the Spectrum Coexistence Act, that would make updates to the spectrum relocation fund that compensates federal agencies to clear spectrum for commercial use and would require the NTIA to conduct a review of federal receiver technology to support more intensive use of limited spectrum.    

The national spectrum strategy will represent a government-wide approach to maximizing the potential of the nation’s spectrum resources.  

The national spectrum strategy is “a top priority,” said NTIA head Alan Davidson, adding that the agency is working closely with the Federal Communications Commission to develop the plan. “We received a lot of input from both within and outside the federal government.” 

In March, the NTIA submitted a request for comment regarding the development and implementation of this strategy. It sought comment on the nation’s spectrum needs, how best to engage in long-term spectrum planning, and technology innovations that could better manage the nation’s spectrum resources. 

Scott Harris, senior spectrum advisor at the NTIA, said that the plan focuses on four major pillars: improving long-range coordination between government agencies and the private sector, identifying 1500 megahertz of spectrum in the near term to find what repurposing is possible, leveraging technology to manage spectrum sharing, and developing the workforce. 

The agency has commissioned subcommittees to research the plausibility of increasing the efficient use of spectrum by determining what improvements in the propagation model could improve accuracy, how radar and other systems can co-exist, and how risk-based analysis techniques can be used to optimize federal systems, among other solutions. 

Subcommittees are in the process of conducting interviews with federal agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations and industry leaders, including service providers, cable companies, equipment manufacturers and chip manufacturers. Reports will be submitted by the end of the year.  

Located within the Department of Commerce, the NTIA is responsible with advising the president on telecommunications policy issues and managing the federal government’s use of spectrum. Working alongside the NTIA is the FCC, an independent agency that shuttles the commercial use of spectrum. The FCC’s spectrum auction authority expired earlier this year. 

Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., is heading two bills, the Spectrum Relocation Enhancement Act and the Spectrum Coexistence Act that would make updates to the spectrum relocation fund that compensates federal agencies to clear spectrum for commercial use and would require the NTIA to conduct a review of federal receiver technology to support more intensive use of limited spectrum.