Carriers Mostly Agree on Proposed Auction of High-Band Spectrum
The record shows near unanimous agreement the FCC should auction 39 GHz and two other millimeter-wave bands in 100 MHz rather than 200 MHz channels, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon replied, posted this week in docket 14-177. Commissioners approved a Further…
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NPRM 4-0 in August (see 1808020025) on how to clean up the 39 GHz band for proposed auction next year of the 37, 39 and 47 GHz bands. AT&T noted that in initial comments only the Telecommunications Industry Association advocated 200 MHz channels. “Most parties recognized that altering the band plan to create 100 MHz channels could limit the number of fractional license interests encumbering the spectrum,” AT&T said. “While AT&T fully agrees with TIA that 5G services will be optimized for large bandwidths, AT&T believes the auction process, including an assignment round that guarantees license contiguity, will provide bidders with the opportunity to acquire the wide bandwidth channels they desire.” AT&T said the three bands should be auctioned together “as long as adding the 47 GHz band would not delay the auction of the 37.6-40.0 GHz band.” Verizon recommended the FCC “reject” any calls it “do away with the pre-auction voucher exchange, a key step to ensuring robust participation in a fair auction while reducing encumbrances in the 39 GHz band.” Auction rules should include a pre-auction voucher exchange encouraging incumbents to participate and “allow 39 GHz incumbents to use their vouchers to pay winning bids for licenses in any of the auctioned bands,” the carrier said. “For the 39 GHz band in particular, use of 100 megahertz channels will simplify the realignment process, as incumbent licensees generally hold non-contiguous paired 50 megahertz blocks.” Comments "reveal general agreement" on "standardization of 100 megahertz channel bandwidths and auction mechanisms that will promote access to unencumbered spectrum,” T-Mobile commented. It asked the agency to “proceed with the plans announced by Chairman [Ajit] Pai to auction the spectrum it covers before the end of 2019.”