HPE CEO Lobbies Pai on 6 GHz; Southern Co. Warns of Interference

Hewlett Packard Enterprise executives lobbied FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on OK'ing 6 GHz unlicensed operations. HPE CEO Antonio Neri, HPE's Aruba Networks President Keerti Melkote and others asked the agency "to make these rules expeditiously to ensure that products and services based on unlicensed 6 GHz connectivity can be brought to market in the near term." That could help "the next wave of connectivity innovation," an HPE lawyer wrote in docket 18-295: Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum have made "transformational contributions" to the U.S. economy. The commission is expected to move this year to allow Wi-Fi in the band, amid utility and others' concerns (see 1911180050). Meanwhile, Southern Co. "urges" any such rules "include sufficient protections to ensure the integrity and reliability of licensed 6 GHz operations," the company said, also posted Friday. Radio local area network low-power indoor units in the band not using automated frequency coordination "will significantly impact Southern’s microwave links, even in a rural, non-urban setting," the utility said. It filed telecom engineer Lockard & White's analysis that Southern requested.