Wireless Telecommunications

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr announced the next step in the FCC’s efforts to accelerate the buildout of wireless infrastructure. Commissioner Carr unveiled a draft order that
would provide for streamlined review of requests to add limited space at the bottom of existing towers for backup power, low-latency computing, and multiple providers to be housed at one site, among other uses. The FCC  will vote on the order at its next open meeting on Oct 27.

I can say for sure that the agenda for the Commission’s October meeting will be filled with treats for consumers and innovators. 

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted research to determine whether there are roles the Postal Service can play to support 5G and broadband deployment, particularly to unserved and underserved areas. The OIG concluded that there may be an opportunity to leverage the Postal Service’s network of over 31,000 facilities nationwide. 5G will require a wide distribution of antennas, fiber optic cable, and other communications infrastructure.

The largest user of spectrum, the Department of Defense (DoD), has put out a Request for Information (RFI) that seems to propose that at least some of the spectrum traditionally used by the military could be shared for a fifth generation (5G) wireless network. The DoD cites a component of 5G technology called dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) as the vehicle to accomplish this. This is a milestone. The Defense Department itself is suggesting that it is possible to share spectrum without harming its operations.

5G is coming to Milwaukee, causing worries about how and where the new cellular equipment will be installed. “My board members and every citizen in Milwaukee County really want to have control over what is being approved and what is not,” says Milwaukee County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman, who has been at the forefront of concerns about the 5G rollout. “The federal government and state government have a lot of regulations and rules on the topic, and local government has very little ability to control the situation.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules permitting expanded use of 50 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 4.9 GHz (4940-4990 MHz) band that is currently underused. Under the new rules, states are allowed to lease this spectrum to third parties to boost wireless broadband, improve critical infrastructure monitoring, and facilitate public safety use cases.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed to make 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for 5G deployment across the contiguous US. The FCC also adopted rules for, and proposed additional changes to, the broader 3.3-3.55 GHz band. This item marks an important step toward satisfying Congress’s directive in the MOBILE NOW Act to make new spectrum available for flexible use and to work with National Telecommunications and Information Administration to evaluate the feasibility of allowing commercial use in the 3.1-3.55 GHz band.

Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) led a letter with nearly 20 Republican colleagues to President Donald Trump applauding the administration’s successful efforts to empower the private sector to build multiple 5G networks. The senators also expressed concerns regarding a request for information that was released by the Department of Defense that contradicts the successful free-market strategy that has embraced 5G.

The Department of Labor explicitly named 5G wireless network building as a goal when recently designating the Wireless Infrastructure Association as an industry intermediary to help train wireless workers — something that the association has long clamored for amid plans to spend millions of dollars on the effort.

Verizon and AT&T have agreed to pay a combined $127 million to settle lawsuits alleging that they overcharged California and Nevada government entities for wireless service. The lawsuit was filed in 2012 and resulted in a settlement approved on Sept 24. "Verizon will pay $76 million and AT&T $51 million to settle claims that, for more than a decade, they knowingly ignored cost-saving requirements included in multibillion-dollar contracts offering wireless services to state and local government users in California, Nevada, and other states," the announcement said.