FCC's WRC Advisory Committee Approves Early Proposals

The FCC's World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee held its second meeting Monday as it prepares for the next WRC, in 2027, moving forward on some early items for the conference. Among the proposals considered was agenda item 1.7, which examines studies on sharing and compatibility and the use of international mobile telecommunications in the 4, 7/8 and 15 GHz bands. Informal Working Group (IWG) 2, Mobile and Fixed Services, recommended two views. The first alternative supports the sharing and compatibility studies called for at WRC-23, “with a view to ensure the protection of services to which the frequency bands are allocated on a primary basis, including in adjacent bands, as appropriate.” Alternative 2 has the same findings but “adds additional language referencing employment of coexistence mechanisms to safeguard incumbent operations,” said IWG-2 Chair Daudeleine Meme, Verizon's vice president-federal regulatory and legal. “There were extensive discussions” and “in the end it was agreed to present two alternatives,” she said. IWG-2 member Scott Kotler, director-regulatory engineering at Lockheed Martin, noted item 1.7 is “critical” to the U.S. aerospace and defense industry “to innovate, to meet the needs and demands of existing services, while also exploring innovative opportunities for new wireless services.” Kotler said the alternative view better reflects the national spectrum strategy and administration principles “on what the U.S. would not support at WRC-27 for IMT.” Other speakers supported Kotler’s view. The WAC voted and approved both alternative views.