According to RCR News, the FCC recently decided to better ascertain how competing 2.3 GHz band wireless services in the United States can operate without disrupting each other. Terrestrial satellite radio repeaters (DARS) and spectrum for 2.3 GHz Mobile WiMAX threaten to become another Nextel debacle, creating interference and disruption from battling services on neighboring bands.
Andrew Kreig, president of the Wireless Communications Association trade group, said, “As the founder of the WCS Coalition, WCA has long recognized the importance that the 2.3 GHz band plays globally, and can play in the U.S., in the delivery of wireless broadband services to consumers. Thus, WCA is pleased that the [FCC rulemaking] seeks public comment on the WCS Coalition’s proposed solutions to the two regulatory threats to the use of the 2.3 GHz band in America — interference from DARS terrestrial repeaters and an oppressive out-of-band emissions limit.”
The Wireless Communications Services (WCS) licenses cover two 15 Mhz wide bands — one from 2305 Megahertz to 2320 MHz and the other from 2345 MHz to 2360 MHz. The WCS spectrum (pdf) is separated into paired blocks (blocks A and B) that have been allocated on a regional basis and unpaired blocks (C and D) that have been allocated over very wide service areas.
Horizon Wi-Com, for example, owns 10 MHz of A Block WCS spectrum in Boston, New York, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington DC, Richmond, and Cincinnati. They plan to utilize Navini’s Smart WiMAX on 2.3 GHz, using a combination of Smart Beamforming & MIMO for mobile WiMAX service.
But satellite radio repeaters of XM and Sirius have been allowed to blast out thousands of watts right in the middle of the band (see WCA’s complaint to the FCC). It should come as no surprise to anyone that [illegal] power levels exceeding thousands of watts from DARS service would make 100 mW mobile WiMAX problematic. But it appears the revolving door at the FCC saw no problem. Until now.
AT&T, Comcast, NextWave Broadband, NTELOS, Sprint Nextel, Horizon Wi-Com and WaveTel, members of the WCS Coalition, have voiced concern about the uncertainty of technical rules governing both services.
The companies have taken the FCC to task with requests by XM Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio for special temporary authorizations that indicate higher-than-allowed power limits on terrestrial repeaters.
“The WCS Coalition’s testing has demonstrated beyond question that adoption of the proposed rule revisions will permit WCS to provide mobile WiMAX services without jeopardizing service to DARS subscribers”, says Kreig. “The [FCC rulemaking] sets the stage for the commission to adopt a more reasonable spectral mask rule, one that allows the 2.3 GHz band to flourish in the U.S. as a home to mobile WiMAX services.”
The FCC, responding to wireless broadband industry complaints, last year extended network build out deadline for 2.3 GHz facilities from 2007 to July 2010.
Related DailyWireless articles include; 2 Dot 3 Comes to Town, Navini Beamforms Voice, Sirius & XM to Merge?, Satellite Radio Growing in US, BellSouth Pushing 2.3 GHz, and Navini Mobilizes at 2 Dot 3.
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