Rosenworcel Calls for Creativity on Spectrum as Commissioners OK 12.7 GHz NOI

FCC commissioners approved 4-0 Thursday, as expected (see 2210240047), an order launching a notice of inquiry on the 12.7 GHz band. The agency also cleared a plan to extend USF support to eligible mobile and fixed carriers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and an NPRM addressing Stir/Shaken caller ID authentication standards. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel acknowledged she had circulated an item focused on the 4.9 GHz band (see 2210260064).

“The FCC expects that this inquiry is the first step in providing for more intensive use of the 12.7 GHz band, unlocking a significant expanse of valuable mid-band frequencies that may play a key role in delivering on the promise of next-generation wireless services, including 5G, 6G, and beyond,” the FCC said of the NOI. Joel Taubenblatt, Wireless Bureau acting chief, told reporters there were no major changes from the draft.

The FCC needs to get “creative again” on spectrum, Rosenworcel said. The current “focus on phones will give way to connectivity that touches everything in the economy,” she said. “We are on the cusp of new forms of connectivity that will boost productivity and make industrial processes safer in factories, shipyards, and warehouses,” she said. The U.S. can’t “pin our wireless future on any single band,” she said. Rosenworcel said she recently shared with NTIA “a list of a handful of additional spectrum bands, including mid-band,” that could be explored for repurposing.

Rosenworcel noted that at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona she had urged (see 2203010070) a plan to identify spectrum in the 7-16 GHz range to support “5G and beyond.” The FCC is “moving that effort forward,” she said: The NOI “explores how we can expand the use of 550 MHz of mid-band spectrum between 12.7-13.25 GHz. We seek information on the current uses in this band and whether it is suitable for mobile broadband or other expanded use. We ask about new licensed opportunities as well as possible sharing approaches. And we consider what steps we need to take to protect the investments made by existing users.”

The 13 GHz band “veers toward the higher end of mid-band, and we should be clear-eyed about what the physics tells us about how the band will be used,” said Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. “When you consider the overall balance in terms of propagation, penetration, capacity, and potential for reuse, and sharing, it’s clear that this spectrum could meet the mark for a variety of valuable wireless deployments.”

The NOI “appropriately seeks comment on exclusive licensing with relocation and potential sharing opportunities, both between incumbents and new services and among new services themselves,” Starks said: “That is the right call at this stage of the proceeding.”

Commissioner Nathan Simington said that band has never been fully utilized. “With today’s 5G spectrum crunch and the uncertainty surrounding the future spectrum pipeline, it is more important than ever that the FCC look carefully and quickly at what spectrum might currently be available for mobile broadband or other use,” he said. “The good news is we have lots of opportunities to keep making progress on the spectrum front,” said Commissioner Brendan Carr. He called the lower 3 GHz band “the next big Kahuna.”

“In addition to evaluating spectrum in the 7-16 GHz range, CTIA appreciates the Commission’s continuing efforts to develop a pipeline for licensed, exclusive-use spectrum -- particularly in the mid-band -- to support 5G,” said Scott Bergmann, senior vice president regulatory affairs.

The Caribbean carriers' support NPRM "got it right," Geraldine Pitt, CEO of the Virgin Islands' Viya, said in an emailed statement. "Continued support is needed to ensure that all residents of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico can continue to access high-speed, resilient broadband while we await the build-out of new networks." Rosenworcel said in meetings with Puerto Rican officials earlier this month while on the island that she repeatedly heard that while Hurricane Fiona caused heavy damage, communications networks were more resilient and restoration was more rapid than in the past. She said that was due to carriers being able in recent years to get FCC support for building more resiliency and redundancy in their networks. That kind of work "you want to keep going," she said. Starks said he got language included in the NPRM about seeking comment for extending the transitional support even longer if it's needed while the transitional support is being phased out.

Also adopted Thursday was an NOI that seeks comment on the status of caller authentication on non-IP networks and the technology’s impact on illegal robocalls (see 2210250051). Stir/Shaken “does not work in the same way on older parts of our networks with traditional copper lines,” Rosenworcel said: “We constantly need to look for new ways to address this problem.” Some changes were made from the draft to reflect ex parte filings, Wireline Bureau Chief Trent Harkrader told reporters.

Rosenworcel cited the need to address the definition of an autodialer, expand the commission’s authority to “track the businesses that entities like these scammers set up to obscure ownership” and ensure fines can be collected when issued. The NOI “will help us chart a path forward on mitigating robocalls on legacy, [non-IP] networks,” Starks said. It will also help "facilitate the transition to all-IP networks," he said: "I’m hopeful that this notice moves us closer by adding another reason for providers to consider upgrading their networks."

The FCC will open the application windows for the affordable connectivity program's outreach grants and pilot program targeting households that receive federal housing assistance, Starks said (see 2209200076). With more than 14.6 million households enrolled in the program as of Oct. 24, Rosenworcel told reporters the FCC is "making assessments at all times about how long the existing funding will last" and "we're mindful that the dollars are not infinite." Carr said the FCC should "take this opportunity before there is an expiration of funds on ACP to really dig deep on contributions reform" of the USF.