Spectrum

FCC Seeks Comment Pursuant to Spectrum Pipeline Act

In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules for the 3550-3700 MHz band (3.5 GHz Band), opening the path to new commercial wireless use of this band. Now the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology of the Federal Communications Commission seek comment on the results of those rule changes, as directed by Congress in the Spectrum Pipeline Act. The FCC is required to give notice and provide an opportunity for public comment before submitting to Congress no later than November 2, 2018 a report containing:

Possible T-Mobile/Sprint Merger Benefits

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission highlighting testimony presented at the June 27, 2018 hearing on the proposed T-Mobile US and Sprint merger. The letter draws the agencies’ attention to important issues raised by witnesses appearing at the hearing, including the resulting increase in market concentration in the wireless telecommunications industry, and the potential for the merger to create a more competitive wireless carrier.

DOJ provides boost to Sprint, T-Mobile merger chances

The Department of Justice believes three national 5G wireless providers are needed to ensure robust competition, a position that provides a big boost to the proposed $26.5 billion merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. The No. 3 and No. 4 wireless carriers have said they don’t have the finances independently to quickly bankroll an expensive rollout of the next generation in wireless technology — leaving just Verizon and AT&T to offer a 5G network.

Telecom Companies Are Running Out of Time to Make Deals

A looming Federal Communications Commission deadline could spur telecom companies to hurry up deal talks before restrictions on their discussions tie their hands. The FCC said in a public notice that it would stop accepting applications on Sept. 18 for two planned wireless-airwave auctions in 2018. Rules bar applicants from talking with each other from that date until the second auction ends and its winners make their down payments.

Dish: Our 5G network is for the good of the US

Dish’s Charlie Ergen said that the Federal Communications Commission should support his company’s efforts to build out a 5G wireless network because it would aid the United States’ technological position on the global stage. "The goal that they [at the FCC] have—to help the United States be the No. 1 in 5G—and the goal that we have at Dish, is exactly the same,” Ergen said. “And so we're very pleased with that.

FCC Proposes Rules for Expanded Incentive-Auction Reimbursements

The Federal Communications Commission proposed rules to implement a recent Congressional directive to reimburse certain Low Power TV (LPTV), TV translator, and FM stations for costs incurred as a result of the FCC’s incentive auction.

FCC Establishes Procedures for First 5G Spectrum Auctions

Auction procedures to speed the deployment of 5G services in the 28 GHz (27.5-28.35 GHz) and 24 GHz (24.25-24.45, 24.75-25.25 GHz) bands. The FCC will offer the 28 GHz and 24 GHz band licenses through two auctions with separate application and bidding processes for each auction. The application windows will run concurrently. The bidding for the 28 GHz UMFUS licenses (Auction 101) will commence on November 14, 2018, and the bidding for the 24 GHz licenses (Auction 102) will commence after the bidding concludes in Auction 101.

FCC Proposes Steps Towards Auction of 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz Bands

The Federal Communications Commission proposed next steps to prepare the upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands for auction. In particular, auctioning the 39 GHz and upper 37 GHz bands together presents a critical opportunity for 5G deployment as it represents the largest amount of contiguous spectrum available in the millimeter-wave bands.

The complete story of how T-Mobile finally reached a merger agreement with Sprint

Sprint and T-Mobile filed their S-4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. An S-4 is a filing that details a business combination or exchange offer and includes details such as share distribution, amounts, terms and other information relating to the transaction. Included in the S-4 from Sprint and T-Mobile is a lengthy and detailed timeline about how the companies finally reached their April merger agreement.

T-Mobile and Sprint: How Fewer Competitors Could Increase Competition

Poring through hundreds of pages of documents submitted to the government by T-Mobile and Sprint and transcripts of testimony in front of Congress makes it clear that going from four competitors to three — AT&T, Verizon and a combined T-Mobile-Sprint — wouldn’t pose the problems that so many fear.

Every textbook would say that fewer competitors results in high prices. But if the Sprint-T-Mobile deal was given the green light, it would almost empirically create, at least in the short term, more competition for AT&T and Verizon, not less.

Agenda for August 2, 2018 FCC Meeting

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the subjects listed below on Thursday, August 2, 2018:

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Thune Eyes Packaging Broadband Deployment Bills

Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-SD) is eying ways to combine his STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act, S.

Senate Commerce Hearing: Senate Looks to Speed Up Spectrum Availability

The Senate Commerce Committee took a deep dive into various government and industry efforts to make more spectrum available for 5G. Helping focus the hearing were two bills currently working their way through Congress, the SPECTRUM NOW and AIRWAVES Act. "Identifying spectrum resources not just for the next three years, but for the next 10 years and beyond is essential if we are to retain American leadership," said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD). Craig Cowden, SVP of wireless technology for Charter, put in a plug for its Wi-Fi mobile broadband play.

House Communications Subcommittee Oversight Hearing of FCC

The House Communications Subcommittee held a long-delayed Federal Communications Commission oversight hearing July 25. Notably, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stood by the FCC's decision to designate the Sinclair-Tribune deal for hearing. Full House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) took the lead in pressing Chairman Pai on President Donald Trump's tweet criticizing the FCC for not approving the Sinclair-Tribune deal and his suggestion there was a need for a conservative voice like Sinclair's.

Microsoft, RTO Wireless Team on Rural Broadband Initiative

Computer giant Microsoft has teamed up with RTO Wireless to provide broadband access to more than a quarter million people in rural New York state and Maine. It is the latest project in the company's Airband Initiative to connect rural areas to broadband partnerships with Internet service providers, and energy companies and others. The goal is to close the rural digital divide by July 4, 2022, including by making use of unlicensed spectrum in the so-called TV white spaces between TV channels.

Well, This Is Awkward

Wave Wireless, a fixed wireless broadband provider from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s hometown of Parsons (KS), is among the 182 companies pushing back on the FCC’s approach to a valuable swath of mid-band airwaves. Wave Wireless — which Chairman Pai said serves his parents in a 2017 tweet — and its fellow companies, mostly small rural providers, want the FCC to preserve smaller geographic license sizes in the 3.5 GHz spectrum band.

Chairman Pai Remarks at CANTO 2018 Fireside Chat

[Speech] At my remarks during yesterday’s opening session, I talked about why we are all here: to help bring the benefits of communications technology to all the people we serve. Before taking questions from Chairman Wilkins and you in the audience, I’d like to talk briefly about how we are pursuing specific policies at the Federal Communications Commission to bring digital opportunity to the people of the United States. In particular, I’ll focus on infrastructure and spectrum.

Sponsor: 

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Department of Commerce

Date: 
Tue, 07/24/2018 - 14:00 to 17:00

The Committee provides advice to the Assistant Secretary to assist in developing and maintaining spectrum management policies that enable the United States to maintain or strengthen its global leadership role in the introduction of communications technology, services, and innovation; thus expanding the economy, adding jobs, and increasing international trade, while at the same time providing for the expansion of existing technologies and supporting the country's homeland security, national defense, and other critical needs of government missions.



Sponsor: 

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Date: 
Wed, 07/25/2018 - 15:00

The hearing will examine the economic impact of 5G and the importance of American leadership to meet the growing consumer demand for reliable broadband services.

Witnesses:



FCC Establishes Pleading Cycle for T-Mobile/Sprint Transaction

T-Mobile US and Sprint have filed applications seeking Federal Communications Commission consent to the transfer of control of the licenses, authorizations, and spectrum leases held by Sprint and its subsidiaries to T-Mobile and the pro forma transfer of control of the licenses, authorizations, and spectrum leases held by TMobile and it subsidiaries in furtherance of T-Mobile’s and Sprint’s previously announced agreement to merge.

Will the US be 5G ready?

Our 5G deployment process is slowed by outdated regulatory processes, spectrum scarcity, and local bureaucracy related to building local towers and other infrastructure. The US faces unique challenges associated with the deployment of small cells, which are antennae the size of a pizza box that enable 5G’s signal strength and resiliency. Deployment delays also result from approval times on small cell applications, permitting, and zoning processes at the local level.

In wireless, competition is easing and revenues are poised to rise

According to some of the nation’s top Wall Street analysts, wireless network operators are positioned to reap the financial benefits of a relatively quiet first half of 2018.

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for August 2018 Open Meeting

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the following items are tentatively on the agenda for the August Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 2, 2018:

FCC Proposes to Expand Flexible Use of Mid-Band Spectrum

The Federal Communications Commission adopted an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which identifies new opportunities for flexible use in up to 500 megahertz of mid-band spectrum between 3.7 and 4.2 GHz. The proposals set forth several steps toward making more mid-band spectrum available for terrestrial fixed and mobile broadband use.