Chairman Wheeler leads the FCC forward toward the spectrum frontier

In their July open meeting the FCC approved freeing up almost 11 GHz of spectrum for licensed and unlicensed use. The Spectrum Frontiers initiative is focussed on giving the U.S. a headstart on 5G implementation. The spectrum is to include 3.85 GHz for licensed use in the 64-71 GHz bands and 7 GHz for unlicensed use in the 28 GHz, 37 GHz and 39 GHz bands.

“These rules balance different spectrum access approaches, including exclusive use licensing, shared access and unlicensed access, in order to meet a variety of different needs and use cases,” the FCC noted in a statement. “The commission also adopted other flexible service and technical rules to allow new technologies and innovations to evolve and flourish without needlessly prescriptive regulations.”

Chairman Wheeler, who has been pushing spectrum frontiers said:  “Today’s order will make the United States the first country in the world to identify and open up vast amounts of high frequency spectrum for 5G applications. The big game-changer is that we are using much higher-frequency bands than previously thought viable for flexible uses, including mobile. The ability to use this high-frequency spectrum opens much bigger chunks of spectrum. Current blocks of licensed low-band spectrum are usually five to 10 megahertz in width. With 5G, however, we are looking at blocks of at least 200 megahertz in width...we’re talking about fiber-like capacity to wireless users...”

The meeting saw commissioners adopt a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comments on plans for an additional 18 GHz of spectrum and for comments on sharing with satellite and other incumbent users. The FCC is also looking for comments on mm band spectrum approaching 100 GHz.

Not surprisingly, the CTIA President Meredith Attwell Baker supported the FCC commissioners spectrum frontiers actions.

Wheeler endorses 200 MHz spectrum blocks

On June 20, FCC Chairman Wheeler said the FCC intends to act to make “ample spectrum available” through a new Spectrum Frontiers proposal even before 5G standards are passed.

Wheeler said: “…we do not believe we should spend the next couple of years studying what 5G should be, how it should operate, and how to allocate spectrum…we will make ample spectrum available and then rely on a private sector-led process for producing technical standards best suited for those frequencies and use cases…it’s a simple formula: Lead the world in spectrum availability, encourage and protect innovation-driving competition, and stay out of the way of technological development.”

He said his plan would expand licensed blocks to at least 200 MHz in the higher bands and the creation of a “massive 14 GHz unlicensed band” with ample spectrum for satellite and mobile industries.

Another Step toward Spectrum Frontiers

On March 3 the Senate committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved the Mobile Now Act, a bill which is focused on increasing spectrum available for building commercial mobile networks.  The FCC’s Spectrum Frontiers rulemaking for the mm wavelengths plays into this and the agency is moving ahead with proposed rules for 28 GHz, 37 GHz, 39 GHz and 64-71 GHz bands.

NYU Wireless researchers reported at the Spectrum Frontiers workshop that spectrum in several GHz bands can be utilized for wireless networking and it appears that both transmit and receive hardware will be available soon to operate in the mm bands.


In any case the FCC will have to weigh arguments from current wireless giants (think AT&T), from satellite operators, and from possible new entrants with deep pockets (think Google) as to who gets to do what in what bands. 

Jean Kiddoo will coordinate station repacking

Jean Kiddoo, deputy chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, has been appointed deputy chair of the Incentive Auction Task Force to focus on the post-auction repacking of station channels. This apparently includes overseeing the controversial $1.75 billion relocation fund. She will be a liaison to the Media, Wireless, Wireline bureaus.

October 22, 2015 The FCC Proposes New Rules for 5G Spectrum Above 24 GHz

The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposes new flexible-use service rules in the 28, 37, 39 and 64 – 71 GHz bands. The NPRM would use county-wide geographical licensing as well as unlicensed and mixed approaches to facilitate both local area and wide-area networks.

The FCC said the steps will unlock the mobile broadband and unlicensed potential of spectrum frontier bands above 24 GHz.  The commissioners hope that the regulatory framework can smoothly coevolve with both future 5G technological advances and the economic realities of millimeter wave (mmW) bands.

In the 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands the agency would authorize mobile operations in the 27.5-28.35
GHz band (28 GHz band) and the 38.6-40 GHz band (39 GHz band) with county-sized area licenses. These bands could be suitable for deployment of small cells to support mobile broadband.

Additionally the FCC would authorize operations in the 64-71 GHz band similar to the rules governing  the adjacent 57-64 GHz band. In the 37-38.6 GHz (37 GHz) band, they propose a hybrid licensing scheme granting operating rights by rule to property owners, while establishing geographic area licenses based on counties for outdoor use. "This licensing mechanism would facilitate the deployment of advanced enterprise and industrial applications not suited to unlicensed spectrum or public network services, while also providing additional spectrum for more traditional cellular deployments."

Forward into the Fog or what will we be saying about the Incentive Auction in a year?

I've read through a lot of the information on the Incentive auction, listened to some of the workshops and meetings on Youtube, checked out some websites that aren't at fcc.gov and continue to have the feeling that no one has any real idea what it all means. I mean, we are talking about billions of dollars changing hands, broadcast channels moving or disappearing. One mysterious task to me (as a user in a previous life of optimizing software) is the reconfiguration (hopefully to be finished in 39 months) of the 100 MHz or so of newly released spectrum into contiguous blocs using "optimization software". That's like saying I'm traveling on transportation equipment. 

This process could be a bonanza for telecom lawyers. 

How will the so-called independent verifier for Lifeline work?

At their March 31 meeting the FCC commissioners had a spirited if partisan exchange of views about expanding the Lifeline subsidy to apply to the cost of broadband internet services for qualified low-income citizens. Although the commissioners seemed to agree that applying the subsidy to the cost of broadband was a good idea they parted ways over the budget for the subsidy. Listening to commissioners' statements it appeared that the budget issue was primarily a way to get at the issue of what two commissioners felt was the susceptibility of the program to "waste, fraud, and abuse". A better approach is to focus on the mechanics of the verification process (currently verification is done by the phone service provider) to make it as accurate and timely as possible. One commissioner brought up the issue of the extra $25 given to residents of tribal lands, particularly in the state of Oklahoma as a particular example of a poorly designed allocation of funds.

I will particularly be interested in the application of the subsidy to residents in HUD multi-family housing. Will they be able to combine their subsidies to allow the property to implement a property-wide wi-fi system.

From the FCC press release:

National Eligibility Verifier removes the opportunity for providers to enroll ineligible subscribers...Refines list of federal programs that may be used to validate Lifeline eligibility to those that support electronic validation, are most accountable, and best identify people needing support (SNAP, SSI, Medicaid, Veterans Pension, HUD Federal Public Housing Assistance, Tribal), along with income-based eligibility...Increases transparency by making program data publicly available and understandable, including subscriber counts by provider and uniform disclosure of annual subscriber recertification data

Today's the day.

The initial commitment portion of the reverse auction (1000) begins today (March 28, 2016) and I'm very curious to see eventually how much broadcast spectrum gets made available.

Initial commitments must be submitted during a window that will open at 10:00 am Eastern Time (ET) on March 28, 2016, and close, as previously announced, at 6:00 pm ET on March 29, 2016...

A reverse auction applicant must make an initial commitment for each of the stations for which it wishes to become qualified to bid in the clock rounds of the reverse auction.

from: https://www.fcc.gov/document/reverse-auction-initial-commitment-and-tutorial-information

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on March 3, 2016 Held a Hearing on Federal Communications Commission actions. ...

The hearing was a fascinating combination of issues, agendas, and politics. Senators from states such as Montana and Nebraska with significant rural populations focused on service to remote areas. Other senators chased after issues such as communications between the White House and FCC commissioners and satellite vs. ground based uses.

Who's on first or who coordinates the coordinators...

The FCC's recent notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposes the creation of new rules for the 28, 37, 39 and 64 – 71 GHz bands making them available for licensed, unlicensed and a shared uses for both local area and wide-area networks. This spectrum frontier about 24 GHz is seen as a future home of 5G with its potential for greater capacity and speed to support next-generation phones. The NPRM seeks comments on the use of these bands to that can adapt to the pace of technological change and increased consumer demand.

The 500 MHz Initiative: A 2010 Presidential Memorandum directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA, to collaborate with the Federal Communications Commission to make available a total of 500 megahertz of Federal and non-federal spectrum over the next 10 years for mobile and fixed wireless broadband use.

• Presidential Memorandum
• Ten Year Plan and Timetable to Make Available 500 MHz of Spectrum for Wireless Broadband
• An Assessment of the Viability of Accommodating Wireless Broadband in the 1755-1850 MHz Band

Federal Communications Commission (from NTIA website): The  FCC is an independent Federal regulatory agency responsible directly to Congress. Established by the Communications Act of 1934, it is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. Its jurisdiction covers the 50 states and territories, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Possessions.

The FCC is directed by five commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms, except when filling an unexpired term. The President designates one commissioner to serve as chairman. As the chief executive officer of the Commission, the chairman delegates management and administrative responsibility to the Managing Director. Certain other functions are delegated to staff units and bureaus and to committees of commissioners. The commissioners hold regular open and closed agenda meetings and special meetings. They also may act between meetings by "circulation," a procedure by which a document is submitted to each commissioner individually for consideration and official action. The Commission staff is organized by function. There are six operating Bureaus and 10 Staff Offices. 
 

NTIA’s Office of Spectrum Management (OSM) is dedicated to protecting the vital Federal government operations that use spectrum while also supporting the growth of commercial wireless broadband and technologies in America. Many federal agencies rely on the use of spectrum, a limited resource, to execute their core missions. There is also increasing demand for spectrum to meet the wireless broadband needs of consumers and businesses, paving the way for continued innovation and economic growth.
OSM principally manages the Federal government’s use of the radio frequency spectrum, ensuring that the America’s domestic and international spectrum needs are satisfied. To achieve this, OSM receives assistance and advice from the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) and carries out this responsibility by:

• establishing and issuing policy regarding allocations and regulations governing the Federal spectrum use;
• developing plans for the peacetime and wartime use of the spectrum;
• preparing for, participating in, and implementing the results of international radio conferences;
• assigning frequencies;
• maintaining spectrum use databases;
• reviewing Federal agencies' new telecommunications systems and certifying that spectrum will be available;
• providing the technical engineering expertise needed to perform specific spectrum resources assessments and automated computer capabilities needed to carry out these investigations;
• participating in all aspects of the Federal government's communications related emergency readiness activities; and
• participating in Federal government telecommunications and automated information systems security activities.

Another of OSM’s primary activities is implementing the Obama administration’s commitment to nearly double the amount of commercial spectrum. In 2010, a Presidential Memorandum directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA, to collaborate with the Federal Communications Commission to make available a total of 500 megahertz of Federal and nonfederal spectrum over the next 10 years for mobile and fixed wireless broadband use. This is one of the areas for which the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) will provide recommendations to NTIA.

Portal Opens for AWS-3 Spectrum Sharing Coordination NTIA’s Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) recently launched a new online site that enables commercial entities and federal agencies to coordinate spectrum use in the 1695-1710 MHz band, one of three bands recently made available by auction for Advanced Wireless Services (AWS). The new NTIA portal fulfills an important requirement to enable sharing in the 1695-1710 MHz portion of this prime spectrum.
Although many federal incumbents will eventually relocate out of the AWS bands, relocation is not feasible for agencies that operate meteorological satellite Earth stations in the 1695-1710 MHz band. To make this band available for sharing, the Federal Communications Commission devised rules that require commercial auction winners to successfully coordinate with federal incumbents prior to operating in geographic areas (coordination zones) around these stations, which will continue to operate indefinitely.
Federal incumbents , including the Air Force, Army, Navy, Department of the Interior and National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, turned to ITS to create an online spectrum coordination portal for spectrum sharing in the 1695-1710 MHz AWS-3 band. A team of 10 ITS developers, documentation experts and quality assurance personnel worked over a period of five months to develop the portal. The solution was designed to be cost efficient, modular and scalable, combining commercial off-the-shelf hardware and software into an advanced web-based architecture. Hosted by NTIA, the final product is a customized web-based database storage software solution that manages the flow of information between commercial wireless operators deploying broadband wireless networks and federal agencies who have meteorological satellite Earth station operations in the identified coordination zones.
The portal enables the commercial operators and incumbents to exchange information and communicate about radio communication engineering issues to enable successful sharing. It is available for use seven days a week, 24 hours a day at https://rfcp.ntia.doc.gov.

Is the FCC's bureaucracy falling behind

As the pace of technical innovation and video and broadband expansion bumps up against the finite amount of radio spectrum, the FCC's regulatory workload is also expanding both in complexity and quantity. A short list of FCC managed stuff include the upcoming spectrum auctions, the push back from satellite communications companies and groups against the reassignment of spectrum to terrestrial mobile applications, the post auction repacking, the continuing debate over "net neutrality", the endless parade of normal FCC actions, as well as the FCC's task of permitting the entry of new large corporations such as Alphabet, Amazon and Facebook as potential telecom players. Not too far over the horizon are 4.5 and 5G.

Update on FCC's spectrum frontiers Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

The FCC proposal to adopt new rules to make spectrum bands above 24 GHz available for mobile and other services was adopted back in October of 2015 with public comment period ending in January (later extended to February). This is the so-called "Spectrum Frontiers" rulemaking and FCC Chairman Wheeler has indicated that a decision on the final rule should be made by the end of the summer 2016. Companies such as Google want a Spectrum Access System to be used for the 37 GHz band whereas big wireless carriers (e.g. Verizon) would like the licensing to be done as it was in the past. On November 19, 2015, the Satellite Industry Association (SIA) wrote that analyzing spectrum sharing with mobile wireless services should be based on a separate review for each band as current and future satellite operations differ depending on the band. In particular, satellite companies have stated their desire to keep the 28 GHz band free of new ground-based signals.

Public Knowledge weighs in on MOBILE NOW Act

Senate Commerce Committee Approves Mobile Now Act to increase the development of 5G wireless broadband by  providing more spectrum for both commercial licensed and unlicensed use as well upgrading broadband infrastructure, particularly in underserved areas (e.g. rural New Hampshire).

Phillip Berenbroick, Counsel for Government Affairs at Public Knowledge:

“Today’s vote advancing the MOBILE NOW Act is an important step toward meeting America’s future telecommunications needs. We are pleased that the bill, as amended, includes significant spectrum for both licensed and unlicensed use, and directs the FCC and NTIA to develop a national plan to ensure there is sufficient spectrum available for innovative unlicensed operations. Today’s vote is a key moment illustrating the overwhelming consensus that unlicensed spectrum has become a critical driver of innovation and economic growth in the United States, and democratizes access to the public airwaves.


“Additionally, we are pleased the bill takes important steps toward improving broadband infrastructure deployment in federal highway projects and on federal, state, and local government property.


“Chairman Thune, Ranking Member Nelson, and their staffs established an inclusive process and engaged with a wide range of stakeholders to improve the MOBILE NOW Act. Senator Schatz especially deserves praise for his leadership and tireless work advocating for the importance of unlicensed spectrum. We also thank Senators Moran, Booker and Gardner for their amendments supporting unlicensed spectrum. We hope that the bipartisan work on this bill can be a guidepost for collaboration on future technology issues."

Bezos updates press on Blue Origin and shows off some hardware...

A little off topic but I love the quality of the industrial design: 


(AP Photo/Donna Blankinship)
  
Jeff Bezos next to the copper nozzle of a LNG fueled BE-4 rocket engine during a media tour. In 2014 Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA) began a four-year partnership to develop the motor for use by both companies in future launch systems. 

On Tuesday, March 8, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos took a small group of journalists around the Blue Origin rocket factory outside Seattle and showed off how far the company has come in developing new hardware.

Over the next 2-3 years Blue Origin will be taking its first steps toward commercial space tourism using its reusable New Shepard suborbital rocket ship (which had its first successful spaceflight and return to Earth in November). After some tuneup maintenance, the vehicle flew again in January using Blue Origin's BE-3 engine. . 

“We may put humans in this vehicle in 2017,” Bezos said. If things go well on these test flights, up to 6 paying customers at a time could be on board the autonomously flown vehicle by 2018 for a sub-orbital flight that will offer a few minutes of zero-gravity and panoramic views through 3-ft windows.

Bezos hasn’t decided on ticket prices yet but said that “many thousands” of people have signed up for flight information.

Richard Branson's company Virgin Galactic has announced that tickets will run about $250,000 for a ride on its six-passenger SpaceShipTwo , a vehicle which should begin test flights this year. 

XCOR Aerospace, also privately owned, is developing a two-person space plane, the "Lynx", is charging about $100,000 for one person to ride with a pilot in a sub-orbital flight. 

U.S. Radio Frequency Allocations (2011)

U.S. Radio Frequency Allocations (2011)

Satellite Communication frequency ranges

Most systems use the C and Ku bands but more use of 

higher frequencies is in the near future primarily 

because as there is much more available spectrum.

L band:    1- 2   GHz

S band:    2- 4   GHz

C band:    4- 8   GHz

X band:    8-12   GHz

Ku band:  12-18   GHz

K band:   18-26.5 GHz

Ka band:26.5-40   GHz 

Dispute between Gogo and AA cools off for now.

American Airlines announcement of its intention to cancel its contract with Gogo because of slow speeds and intermittent service led to a hectic week or so of legal maneuvering. Now Gogo has agreed to AA's interpretation of the contract language and says that it will come up with a new proposal to fix any problems and move its service forward. The proposal would be based on an upgrade to the satellite modem used with its 2Ku and Ku satellite technologies to dramatically increase throughput to users on planes in the U.S.

While the contractual language allows American Airlines to use a different provider (ViaSat was mentioned in some reports), Gogo is hoping to hang on to its biggest client. Anand Chari, Gogo’s CTO said, “Gogo’s next generation modem is being built with a lot of room to spare so it will be ready to handle data delivered from next generation high throughput satellites and beyond...” and Gogo CEO Michael Small said that the company would send American Airlines its proposal by March 20.

Gogo claims their improved service speeds will ultimately be capable of 400 Mbps and this, Chari said: “...will allow our customers to seamlessly upgrade to the new Ku High Throughput Satellites (HTS) that have just started to be launched, and the massive-scale low earth orbit (LEO) constellations planned over the next decade.”

What is 2.5 GHz spectrum worth?

In July 2013, Sprint Nextel became sole owner of Clearwire and Sprint Nextel completed the sale of the majority of its stock to the Japan-based SoftBank Corp. Fast forward 30 months and it looks like Sprint is shutting down the clearwire mobile wi-max service to empty out its 2.5 GHz spectrum. Is it possible that Sprint, still majority owned by Softbank, and seemingly unable to make a profit, is planning to put chunks of its 2.5 GHz spectrum up for sale to the ever increasing list of cash-rich companies that are looking to build out or create wireless distribution networks. (Verizon, AT&T, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Comcast, Charter, etc.). Sprint continues to cut costs (2,500 jobs were eliminated in January) but analysts expect yearly earnings to come in as a $1.5 billion loss.

In the 2015 FCC mid-band AWS auction, the demand for spectrum was great enough that the winning bids for paired 10 MHz spectrum averaged about $2.72/MHzPop with the biggest markets getting bids over $6/MHzPop. At this rate Sprint's 2.5 GHz spectrum could be worth somewhere north of $20 billion.

In any case, in the short-term the FCC hopes that the low-band spectrum to be auctioned in the Broadcast Incentive Auction beginning at the end of March will be acquired by companies intending to move into markets that currently have little competition (often dominated by Verizon and AT&T) . This low-band spectrum is suited for coverage, as it can handle irregular terrain and other line-of-sight blocks (e.g. walls) much better than higher frequency rf, but will be maxed out in the next couple of years if current rates of increase of user data usage hold up, Sprint 2.5 GHz may turn to gold. We shall see.

AT&T plans television streaming service

AT&T has announced an internet-based streaming TV service under the DirecTV brand, that will not require a  DirecTV service plan, set top box, or satellite dish. There will be three options: DirecTV Now, DirecTV Mobile, and DirecTV Preview, with the Now package similar to current Direct TV content, the Mobile available just to smartphones and a free Preview service. Pricing will be announced at launch later this year. Whether AT&T can put together deals with content providers like Disney and ESPN should be clear before the end of the year.

Speculation is that the service will be similar to Dish Network's SlingTV (where $20/month gets you 23 channels), but wannabe cable-cutters have yet to hear if there will be enough content to compete with content available on their cable contracts.

ViaSat Moves across the Atlantic

In a February 9, 2016 press release  Eutelsat Communications and ViaSat Inc.(NASDAQ: VSAT) announced an agreement to form a joint venture combining Eutelsat’s current European broadband business with ViaSat’s broadband and ISP expertise. Using a Eutelsat high capacity broadband satellite, the partnership will allow Eutelsat to expand its current wholesale broadband business into retail market ViaSat’s CEO, Mark Dankberg said: “...We complement each other extremely well...the joint venture combines an unprecedented collection of expertise in satellite operations and technology, broadband networks, and wholesale and retail distribution throughout Europe...”

Wholesale broadband services in the European and Mediterranean regions will be sold to the retail joint venture as well as to existing Eutelsat distributors. Eutelsat will contribute its current European broadband business using their KA-SAT satellite while ViaSat will provide broadband technology for KA-SAT gateways and terminals and will pay €132.5 million for a 49% interest in the business.
The retail joint venture (owned 51% by ViaSat) offer consumer ISP service in Europe .
Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat S.A. is a French-based provider of satellite services. Their satellites broadcast over 6,000 television and over 1000 radio stations and provide transmission for corporate networks, mobile communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access. Eutelsat sells capacity on about 40  satellites located in geosynchronous orbit covering most populated areas on the planet.

Fifth time the charm?

SpaceX will make its fifth attempt to launch an SES-9 satellite on its Falcon 9 rocket on Friday Mar 4 after high-level winds were too strong on Tuesday. The first two were scrubbed because of problems with the superchilled liquid oxygen (the oxidizer that is mixed with kerosene fuel in the rocket motor). Superchilled liquid oxygen was first used in December.

Liquid oxygen (LOX), just below the boiling point of -297.3 deg F at sea level, is about 900 times more than dense than oxygen at room temperature, but the LOX tank must be insulated, have a venting process, and, to put this heavy a satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit with fuel left over to recover the first stage, be topped off just before launch. SpaceX is getting more LOX in the same tank by cooling it down to -340 degrees F which makes it about 10% more dense but trickier to keep cool. The first stage will try to land on a barge about 400 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.

The satellite was built by Boeing for Luxembourg-based SES for use over east Asia and the Pacific for video, government and commercial communications.

Satellite Industry weighs in on FCC spectrum frontiers rulemaking

1/28/2016- The Satellite Industry Association has filed their comments in response to the FCC's allocation of spectrum above 24 GHz..."While the wireless industry is in the early stages of exploring services and business models that harness millimeter wave technologies...[T]hese services make satellite companies an essential component of the U.S. telecommunications system...Alternatives to the Commission’s proposals would permit both satellite and terrestrial mobile services to thrive by allowing the parties to work out an appropriate sharing environment based on concrete deployment plans... We look forward to working with terrestrial carriers and the Commission in an effort to developing a more effective consensus for efficient sharing of the spectrum.”