Ericsson has asked the FCC for an exception to its rules and to allow the company to manufacture and sell 5G multiband radios that wireless providers could operate in the 3.45 and 3.7 GHz bands. In a Petition for Waiver, the company says a multiband radio would serve the public interest by allowing Ericsson to introduce an innovative radio design, including more flexibility to operate in mid-band frequencies, with smaller, more energy-efficient, and more economical base stations, and with no adverse effects on nearby band operations.
Ericsson reminds the Commission it manufactures 5G radios in the U.S., is boosting its U.S. investments in R&D, and is currently deploying 5G networks or has publicly announced contracts to do so with eight wireless providers in this country. Ericsson’s Mobility Report (November 2021) reports that 20 percent of all mobile subscriptions in North America were already 5G at the end of 2021 and projects that 90 percent will be 5G in 2027.
“The highly successful auctions in the 3.7 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands demonstrate the need to support 5G in mid-band spectrum, which offers attractive capacity and coverage capabilities,” it tells the regulator.
Ericsson proposes to develop a radio with a dual-band filter with two passbands, spanning the 3.45-3.55 GHz band and the 3.7-3.98 GHz band, respectively. “This will allow a multiband radio solution that utilizes a multiband power amplifier capable of transmitting (i) in standalone 3.7 GHz spectrum or (ii) with carrier aggregation, in both the 3.7 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands simultaneously,” says the company. “With this radio, wireless providers that hold licenses in both bands will be able to deploy in these two bands in a cost- and energy-efficient manner.”
The relief sought will allow 3.45 GHz out-of-band emission (OOBE) levels in the 3.7-4.0 GHz frequencies at the 3.7 GHz service OOBE levels.
With the dual radio design, 3.7 GHz signals—whether in standalone mode or carrier aggregation with 3.45 GHz signals—will produce lower OOBE levels into the CBRS band than would otherwise be the case for 3.7 GHz signals in a single-band radio, the manufacturer claims. In addition, the proposed multiband radios will not operate using the 3.45 GHz carrier only. Instead, 3.45 GHz operations will be in carrier aggregation mode with 3.7 GHz service frequencies and will involve the transmission of a single composite waveform representing individual physical 5G NR (New Radio) carriers in each of the bands.
Ericsson emphasizes this multiband radio will also meet the OOBE commitments the manufacturer has made for 3.7 GHz service devices with respect to emissions into the 4.2-4.4 GHz band. Ericsson also claims the radio will conform with the protection requirement for satellite earth stations.
“Ericsson trains tower crews to meet the demand for 5G site installation, and solutions that are lighter, are safer to handle, and take less time to install,” it tells the agency. The company explains the alternatives to its multiband radio would be to include two radios in the same enclosure, which increases size, weight, and cost, or to use two separate radios in separate enclosures, which increases installation costs as well as additional equipment. Moreover, using separate radios for each band (as was done for previous generations of mobile technologies) would dramatically increase the energy consumption of mobile networks.
“Either way, the alternatives needlessly increase the environmental impact of the radio by duplicating enclosures, drawing more power, and costing more—costs ultimately passed onto consumers,” Ericsson asserts. “Further, in such cases, providers may have to seek local siting approval twice, wasting government as well as providers’ resources.”
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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