Senators Markey (D-MA) and Blackburn (R-TN) Send Letter To FCC On 12 Gigahertz Proceeding

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to act expeditiously in its proceeding regarding the 12.2-12.7 GHz spectrum band while continuing to maintain an evidence-based approach.  With the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, the FCC has a unique near-term opportunity to expand broadband access, improve the distribution of spectrum resources, and put our spectrum to its most efficient use, especially in rural areas of the country. In particular, if the FCC determines that fixed broadband operations can coexist in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band without interfering with incumbent users, the FCC should move swiftly to permit such use, particularly as the federal government deploys additional resources to close the digital divide. The FCC can do this by updating twenty-year-old rules for the band to account for new technological advances, which can make sharing possible, and considering the creation of a sharing framework to permit local access to unused spectrum channels in this band; ensuring tribes have adequate spectrum access in the band; and potentially authorizing low-power, indoor-only unlicensed use of the band.”