FCC Expands Broadband Spectrum Opportunity for Utilities, Critical Infrastructure, and Business Enterprise Entities

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules to expand access to spectrum for utilities, critical infrastructure, and enterprise businesses deploying private 900 MHz broadband networks. The new rules allow the 900 MHz band to be used in a given county in any of three configurations: (1) a “legacy” configuration with 20 wideband channels interleaved with 200 narrowband channels; (2) one six-megahertz broadband segment consisting of two paired three-megahertz channels and two narrowband segments with a total of 159 narrowband channels; or (3) ten megahertz of broadband consisting of two paired five-megahertz channels and no reserved narrowband channels. The Report and Order will enable broadband on all 10 megahertz of the 900 MHz band (896–901 and 935–940 MHz), providing enhanced spectrum capacity to meet a wider range of broadband needs.  These new rules introduce a county-level, negotiation-based process to enable broadband deployment where private agreements are reached.