Tag Archives: FCC

A Look Under The Hood Of The FCC National Broadband Map

The FCC recently released version 2 of the National Broadband Map. It’s an ambitious project that aims to provide information on the available connectivity services at every location in the US. The NTIA plans to use the map to identify unserved and underserved communities to provide funding under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. I was… Read More »

5G vs. Radio Altimeters: A Storm in a Tea Cup?

The row between the wireless and aviation industries on potential interference between 5G and aircraft radio altimeters is sounding like a storm in a tea cup! The genesis of this dispute is a report in October 2020 by the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) citing potential interference to altimeters operating in the 4.2 – 4.4 GHz band… Read More »

Defining the Innovation Band and Shared Spectrum Access

Spectrum sharing rules for the 3.5 GHz band in the US are beginning to take shape. While there are still some important aspects to define, the broad lines have been drawn for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). The process of fine-tuning the rules will continue following the April Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) (comments are due… Read More »

New FCC Rules Give 60 GHz a Boost

The FCC enacted changes to Part 15 rules for the 60 GHz band (57 – 64 GHz) that will give a boost to different types of data backhaul applications. In a very significant move, the FCC increased the allowed transmitted power for 60 GHz systems deployed in point-to-point configuration outdoors. This will improve the competitiveness of V-band millimeter… Read More »

In Focus: US Spectrum Service Allocation

Ever wondered how spectrum is allocated to different services? I recently came across the pie chart below showing allocation of spectrum between 108 and 6000 MHz for a “typical” European country. I decided to do a similar exercise for US spectrum allocation. But first I like to give a brief overview of how spectrum is allocated. There are… Read More »

Setting a New Standard for Unpaired Spectrum Pricing: AT&T’s Purchase of Qualcomm’s 700 MHz Spectrum

On December 22, the FCC approved of AT&T’s purchase of the unpaired D and E blocks from Qualcomm for a total of $1.925 Billion. What went missing in most media reports that the D and E bands are unpaired 6 MHz bands in what’s commonly known as the “lower 700 MHz band.”