3.5 GHz Order Is Spectrum Regulation for New Era, FCC Official Says

The FCC’s approval of spectrum sharing rules for the 3.5 GHz band is a big step toward flexibility and a new way of looking at spectrum, John Leibovitz, deputy chief of the Wireless Bureau, said in a blog post. In an earlier era of “high-powered analog transmissions, it made sense to put different radio uses on different bands, everywhere in the United States,” he said. But the silos also limited flexibility, he said. “As evidence, one need only look at the innumerable exceptions, footnotes, or other asterisks that have been added to the rules over the years to accommodate uses that do not fit within neat regulatory boxes,” he said. “With the new 3.5 GHz rules, the Commission enables a new model that uses modern technologies -- spectrum sensing, cloud computing, and others -- to break down some of the old categories.” Work remains, including authorizing Spectrum Access System providers and establishing auction procedures for the new priority access licenses, he said. “We expect multi-stakeholder groups to agree on procedures for coordinating use in the band. And, as with any new spectrum band, technology vendors will have to design equipment that meets the technical requirements spelled out in the rules.” The FCC approved an order on the band Friday (see 1504170055).