FCC July Agenda Highlights Space, Upper C-Band Auction
FCC officials say the agency is preparing to vote on ways to modernize space and earth station licensing and establish the rules for next year’s upper C-band auction. Both items are on the agenda for the Commission’s July 22 meeting.
Specifically, the Commission intends to vote on auction rules for 160 MHz of mid-band spectrum (3.98-4.14 GHz). The rules would effectively harmonize terrestrial wireless operations across the entire C-band to create a single “super-band” spanning 440 MHz (3.70-4.14 GHz), Inside Towers reported.
Discussing the economic significance of what Chairman Carr has dubbed the “super-band,” FCC Office of Economics and Analytics Chief Jonathan Williams said, “We want to keep costs low for wireless operators. AI is going to feed demand” for spectrum. He spoke as part of a panel at the American Enterprise Institute think tank yesterday.
Williams said on the space side, his office is seeing “massive progress” with subscriptions up 50 percent over last year. The share of satellite subscriptions is up for areas that are typically underserved, he said. “From an economic standpoint, this is key.”
Space Bureau Chief Jay Schwarz said the bureau is focused on speeding the application and licensing process for satellites. “We call it the licensing assembly line.” The rules to be approved are a wholesale change. “We recognized this wasn’t the time to nibble at the edges.” The bureau is moving to more brightline certification-based applications, he added.
Officials recognized the old rules “were a massive bottleneck to the provision of broadband constellations.” The changes “really matter for rural broadband connectivity,” he said.
Concerning direct-to-device (D2D), Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Joel Taubenblatt described it as “filling coverage gaps if people are trying to make emergency calls. The competitive driver is mobile service to consumers.”
Arpan Sura, Senior Counsel to Carr and Chief AI Officer at the agency, sees spectrum as “the invisible force” powering drones, electric vehicles, and broadband. Auctions are part of the strategy to marketplace, he said during a panel at the American Enterprise Institute think tank yesterday. He predicted we’ll see more spectrum applications in the future.
Concerning drones, Sura said the FCC is taking action to boost U.S. drone production, saying we “will see action in the coming weeks.” The FCC is trying to provide legal clarity so U.S. companies “can test technology to keep American homes safe,” referring to efforts to keep insecure gear off the market.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
