WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has issued a public notice designating Louis Libin as special frequency coordinator and RF spectrum manager for the the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The notice also detailed how RF spectrum will be coordinated during the 39-day global men’s soccer tournament and detailed some waivers of FCC rules.

The move makes Libin, vice president of spectrum policy and engineering at Sinclair Broadcast Group, the single point of contact for coordinating Broadcast Auxiliary Service (BAS) operations during the World Cup. Tournament matches are being staged in 11 U.S. cities, as well as cities in co-host countries Canada and Mexico. Some 6 billion viewers worldwide are expected to watch the June 11-July 19 tournament via broadcast, streaming and digital platforms. Fox is the U.S. World Cup rightsholder.

In addition, the FCC also granted waivers to permit low-power auxiliary operators. Low-power auxiliary operations are a subset of BAS operations.

BAS stations, which are licensed under Part 74 of the Commission’s rules, make it possible for television and radio stations and networks to transmit program material between various locations (e.g., from remote sites of breaking news stories or other live events to television studios, from studios to broadcasting transmitters for delivery to consumers, and between broadcast stations).

In addition to licensed BAS stations, section 74.24 of the Commission’s rules allows eligible broadcasters to operate BAS stations on a short-term basis, not to exceed 720 hours annually, without prior Commission authorization.

FWC 2026, a subsidiary of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), had previously requested that the agency designate Libin as the coordinator.

The FCC noted that BAS frequency coordinators are often named in connection with major events such as national political conventions, presidential inaugurations, the Olympic Games, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

In a filing with the FCC, FWC 2026 said it expects extensive video, audio, and data coverage of WC26 and extensive use of wireless equipment.

FWC 2026 anticipates that over 2,700 pieces of equipment, such as interruptible foldback systems for real time communication, wireless intercoms and talkbacks for production crews, and RF audio links for sound mixing and audio routing, will be utilized during WC26 to support over 300 media agencies.

Based on FWC’s recommendation, the FCC said it finds “that appointing Louis Libin as the special frequency coordinator will facilitate WC26, and will serve the public interest. Mr. Libin has extensive experience in coordinating frequency use for a variety of national and international events.”

The FCC said the designated frequency coordination period will start five days before each venue’s initial match and conclude one day after each venue’s last match so that FWC 2026 can prepare the RF environment to ensure spectrum readiness before matches begin and can oversee a controlled shutdown of the venues.

This designation will also allow for advance coordination of auxiliary broadcast frequency usage in the designated areas.

The FCC said Libin can be reached for frequency coordination at (516) 374-6700 or by email at louislibin@broad-comm.com.

In addition to the operations discussed above, the FCC noted that the event will see the potential use of unlicensed next-generation devices operating in TV white spaces.

In an filing with the FCC, FWC 2026 also requested that the Commission grant a waiver of the distance-separation requirement to permit the use of low power auxiliary stations (LPAS), not to exceed 1 watt of power on channels allocated for TV broadcasting where the nearest operating television station transmitter is located at least 40 kilometers from the event venues.

Similarly, FWC 2026 requested that the commission grant a waiver of rules that limits the power for LPAS operating in the 600-MHz duplex gap and the bands allocated for TV broadcasting.

FWC 2026 has requsted these waivers to “accommodate specialized equipment required for reliable and robust operations in large, open-air stadium environments,” including equipment necessary to support international broadcast systems, in-stadium long-range coordination, wireless intercoms and public safety communications, the filing said.

More information on the FCC’s decision to grant those waivers, affected venues and the process of coordinating spectrum during the games can be found here.

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters has told the FCC it would be willing to compromise in its request that the commission reserve a small portion of the 6GHz spectrum band for licensed mobile operations aka "broadcast auxiliary service" (BAS) band used to cover live events and breaking news. 

In a letter to the commission, the association said such a move would help protect broadcasters from interference as the FCC moves to open the band to unlicensed wireless devices and that it would also bring the U.S. policy in line with Ofcom (the U.K.’s equivalent of the FCC), which has set aside 55 MHz at the top of the band for licensed use for electronic newsgathering (to which Ofcom refers as “Programme Making and Special Events”).

“While NAB has proposed that the Commission reserve 80 MHz of spectrum for licensed mobile operations, which would leave 1120 MHz for unlicensed operations, reserving just 55 MHz would have the benefit of harmonizing the use of the band internationally,” NAB said. “55 MHz would provide two full 25 MHz channels for electronic newsgathering operations, plus a 5 MHz guard band. This approach would resolve the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia’s remand of the Commission’s 6 GHz order while also providing regulatory certainty for potential unlicensed users of the band.”

NAB stressed the importance of reserving the spectrum in light of current events. 

“Journalism, including live coverage of events as they unfold, has never been more important,” it told the commission. “Access to spectrum is an indispensable component of broadcasters’ ability to provide high-quality and real-time coverage of history as it unfolds. We urge the Commission to support broadcast journalism by considering a reasonable compromise that will help ensure that broadcasters are able to continue to perform their vital work.”

SARASOTA, FL.—xG Technology—the provider of IMT Vislink live video communications products for the broadcast, law enforcement and defense—has announced a partnership with mobile broadcast vehicle provider Frontline Communications to deploy a customized newsnet electronic news gathering (ENG) vehicle for conducting on-site demos at broadcast client sites.

“It’s an excellent way for us to show how newsnet empowers broadcasters to maximize their coverage while fully leveraging their studio assets,” said John Payne IV, President of IMT USA. “Having multiple ENG points of view operate at the same time, and on the same BAS channel, while enabling a high-bandwidth IP connection with studio newsroom computer systems, is a game changer for the broadcast industry.”

[Read: Driving Station Workflows In The Field]

Vislink’s newsnet establishes a high-speed, bidirectional IP-based network that can optimize ENG field workflows and transmission by leveraging secure BAS spectrum that can be used without fear of contention, congestion or blocking, according to the company. Lower OPEX costs can result from greater workflow efficiencies and the reduced need for bonded cellular transmission.

The newsnet mobile demo site will be comprised of the mobile assets, a base station site (mobile COW), and the newsnet studio control system to provide the interface and control between the remote demo vehicle and the studio/field workflows.

WASHINGTON—Globalstar has been cleared to create a terrestrial broadband network in its 2.4. GHz spectrum holdings. The Federal Communications Commission modified its Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) rule for Globalstar in a December Report & Order, clearing the way for it to launch a low-power terrestrial network at 2.4835 to 2.495 GHz.

No Broadcast Auxiliary Spectrum operations will have to move, according to the Order: “The Order concludes that no new rules are necessary to protect BAS systems at this time. It declines to require Globalstar to notify its customers located in markets where grandfathered TV BAS Channel A10 TV Pickup stations are located that the low-power ATC network may be subject to temporary interruption in the event of TV BAS operations. Furthermore, it finds that relocation of BAS stations is not necessary to protect such stations from the operations of Globalstar’s low-power terrestrial network.” 

The Order was published in the Federal RegisterJan. 31, triggering a March 2 effective date (excepting Sec. 25.149 information collection requirements that must approved by the Office of Management and Budget.)

“The Order modifies the gating criteria and other ATC rules to permit expanded terrestrial use of the 2,483.5-2,495 MHz frequency band and establishes a framework that will enable Globalstar, the sole MSS [mobile satellite-service] licensee at 2,483.5-2,495 MHz, to apply for a license to deploy a low-power terrestrial network in the band,” the FR synopsis said.

The Order does not address further requests from Globalstar to deploy high-power terrestrial services in the S-band at 2,483.5-2,495 MHz, and the L-band at 1,610-1,617.775 MHz, and low-power terrestrial networks at 2,473-2,483.5 MHz.

Globalstar first asked for the ATC modification in 2012, including adjacent unlicensed spectrum. It scaled back the request to the 2483.5-2495 MHz band last November. ATC rules, adopted in 2003, make way for terrestrial networks over satellite spectrum.

Globalstar’s ATC modification involved “gating criteria” set forth in Sec. 25.149 of the commission’s ATC rules, which must be met by MSS operators in order to offer ATC. Operators “must demonstrate the provision of ‘substantial satellite service’ in the MSS—that is, the capability of providing continuous satellite service over the entire geographic area... and must also provide ATC service and MSS on an integrated basis,” according to the FR item.

The modification eliminates the coverage area requirement and “relaxes” the integrated service rule, “only to low-power ATC in the 2483.5-2495 MHz band and [does] not set a precedent for deployment of high-power ATC systems,” the FR stated.

“Total transmit power is not to exceed 1 watt with a peak equivalent isotropically radiated power of no more than 6 dBW (4 watts) with a minimum 6 dB bandwidth of 500 kilohertz and a maximum conducted power spectral density limit of 8 dBm/3 kHz,” it further stated.

In an unrelated matter that also may have implications for BAS operations, a petition filed with the FCC by the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition is asking to end full-band, full-arc frequency coordination for fixed satellite service (FSS) stations, which protects FSS downlinks on all frequencies and precludes use by others sharing the spectrum. This also applies to 7 and 13 GHz BAS operations, which are shared with MSS feeder links.

Engineers for the Integrity of Broadcast Auxiliary Services Spectrum support the petition on the grounds that “full-band, full-arc licensing and frequency coordination, represents an inefficient use of spectrum that constitutes a de facto policy of spectrum warehousing,” EIBASS said in comments filed on the petition docket.

However, the National Association of Broadcasters opposes the petition on the grounds that “Hundreds of broadcast television stations rely on Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) earth stations to receive network and other syndicated programming that these stations then transmit to viewers. In addition, transportable FSS uplink and downlink systems are used for thousands of broadcast events broadcast each year.”
Also see...
Dec. 14, 2016
“Microwave Group Seeks Access to Reserved but Unused Spectrum,” at CommLawBlog.

Jan. 6, 2017
“Globalstar positions its 2.4 GHz as prime for LTE small cells,” from FierceWireless.

WASHINGTON—In October 2004, the FCC gave the Department of Defense authority for limited operation in the 2,025–2,110 MHz TV Broadcast Auxiliary Services band (FCC Office of Engineering & Technology Docket 00-258 Seventh Report & Order). The operation was constrained to 11 fixed sites, for Space Ground Link System uplinks, which were then in federal government spectrum in the L-Band, at 1,761–1,862 MHz, (the 11 sites were specified in Footnote US346 to the FCC Table of Allotments). These uplinks were required to protect all existing 2 GHz TV BAS operations, including mobile (TV Pickup) ENG operations. Click on the Image to Enlarge
Click on the Image to Enlarge
Click on the Image to Enlarge

To that end, on April 30, 2009, the Society of Broadcast Engineers and the DoD negotiated a formal Memorandum of Understanding that required protecting the noise floor of ENG receivers not just to the 1 dB noise threshold degradation criteria specified in Section 2.5.5 of EIA/TIA TSB-10F, but intentionally to an even more stringent 0.5 dB noise threshold degradation. This MoU was uploaded to the ET Docket 00-258 record on Dec. 29, 2009, by the Engineers for the Integrity of Broadcast Auxiliary Services Spectrum, to ensure its availability.

‘CAMEL’S NOSE’
In effect, this was a frequency re-use criteria, not a frequency sharing criteria. Frequency re-use means the two systems are engineered so that one does not cause interference to the other, whereas frequency sharing means that two systems can potentially cause interference to each other, and thus must employ some form of frequency coordination to avoid actual interference. Because the newcomer DoD use was for 11—and only 11—fixed sites, a frequency re-use basis rather than a frequency sharing basis was technically achievable.

EIBASS and SBE feared that this was a “camel’s nose” situation; that is, a metaphor where the permitting of a small, seemingly innocuous act opens the door for larger, clearly undesirable actions. That concern has now proven correct: In the recently completed Advanced Wireless Services L-band spectrum auction, (GN Docket 13-185), many DoD operations are to be shifted from the 1.8 GHz L-band to the 2 GHz TV BAS band. The L-band spectrum auction brought in $45 billion to the Federal coffers, by providing CMRS licensees access to spectrum formerly used only by DoD and other federal government operators.

The March 31, 2014, GN Docket 13-185 R&O expanded the limited DoD co-primary status in the 2 GHz TV BAS band for just 11 specific sites and for SGLS uplinking only, to co-primary status without site restrictions and for a multitude of fixed and mobile uses by DoD. This included, for example, Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, Tactical Targeting Network Technology, Tactical Radio Relay and High-Resolution Video Systems.

REQUIRED PROTECTIONS
However, the GN 13-185 R&O included a clear requirement that newcomer DoD operations protect all incumbent TV BAS operations. According to new footnote US92 to the FCC Table of Allotments:

In the band 2025-2110 MHz, Federal use of the co-primary fixed and mobile services is restricted to military service and the following provisions apply:

(a) Federal use shall not cause harmful interference to, nor constrain the deployment and use of the band by the Television Broadcast Auxiliary Service, the Cable Television Relay Service, or the Local Television Transmission Service. To facilitate compatible operations, coordination is required in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding between Federal and non-Federal fixed and mobile operations. Non-Federal licensees shall make all reasonable efforts to accommodate military mobile and fixed operations; however, the use of the band 2025-2110 MHz by the non-Federal fixed and mobile services has priority over military fixed and mobile operations.

(b) Military stations should, to the extent practicable, employ frequency agile technologies and techniques, including the ability to tune to other frequencies and the use of a modular retrofit capability, to facilitate frequency sharing of this band with incumbent Federal and non-Federal operations.

Wow, sounds pretty good. What could possibly go wrong with co-channel sharing with DoD, not directly subject to FCC authority or enforcement, and using the frequencies for lethal force applications? First, as best EIBASS has been able to tell, the MoU referenced in US92 is not the 2009 SBE-DoD MoU with its strict 0.5 dB noise threshold degradation criteria, but some new MoU to be negotiated between DoD and unspecified civilian users or groups, using an unspecified process, apparently outside of the FCC rulemaking process and likely not subject to Administrative Procedure Act safeguards. Certainly EIBASS has not been contacted and invited to participate.

Fig. 1: Potential interference areas that co-channel DoD operations might cause to TV ENG operations

Second, while the GN 13-185 rulemaking includes links to stringent NTIA protection criteria that newcomer CMRS auction winners will have to demonstrate are provided to those DoD and federal government operations remaining at L-band, it was silent on the technical details regarding how co-channel DoD operations would protect TV BAS operations, especially time-and location-variable ENG use.

Fig. 1 cont.

Indeed, an NTIA document, “Federal Government Spectrum Use Reports 225 MHz to 5 GHz,” dated April 11, 2014, showed potential interference areas that co-channel DoD operations might cause to TV ENG operations that were appallingly large map areas (Fig. 1). The interference criteria was a 1 dB (not 0.5 dB) degradation of the noise floor of a protected co-channel receiver, and were based on an unrealistic receiving antenna gain of only 0 dBi and a receiving antenna height of just 2 meters AGL. An analysis by EIBASS of TV Pickup station ENG receive data shows the average receiving antenna gain is 20 dBi, and the average receiving antenna height is 141 meters AGL. Thus, it is clear that the NTIA maps underestimated the interference areas.

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION?
By way of links to NTIA, the GN 13-185 rulemaking went into great detail regarding the protection requirements and showings that CMRS licensees entering the 1.8 GHz L-band would have to demonstrate are provided to DoD operations remaining in that band. In stark contrast, no technical details were provided on how DoD would fulfill its US92(a) obligations to not cause interference to existing co-channel TV BAS operations, and also to “not constrain” ENG.

One has to wonder how such a feat will be accomplished. It’s a tall order, since frequency sharing by DoD implies a monitoring ability that does not have a “hidden node” problem; that is, if a polite protocol monitoring receiver does not have a sensitivity at least as good as the system it is protecting, DoD will not be able to detect when a particular ENG channel is in use, and select a different frequency. Since ENGRO sites oft en use high-gain remotely steerable parabolic dish antennas with low noise amplifiers, and high effective elevations, matching the sensitivity of a large market TV station’s network of ENG-RO sites is no small undertaking.

However, there is a possible solution being developed by Dr. Mark Henry of Shared Spectrum Co.: use the Data Return Link channels from the ATSC A/82 Automatic Transmitter Power Control Data Return Link standard as a means of allowing DoD to use Dynamic Spectrum Access to avoid in-use 2 GHz ENG channels.

Fig. 2: In 2003, the FCC adopted a plan suggested by the SBE. Instead of refarming the 2 GHz band into six 12.1-MHz wide channels and one 12.4-MHz wide channel, the band was refarmed into seven exactly 12-MHz wide main channels, and the remaining 1 MHz was used for the lower and upper DRL bands, each 0.5-MHz wide.

As a result of comments filed by SBE, the DRL channels were adopted by the FCC in its Nov. 10, 2003, ET Docket 95-18 Third R&O and Third MO&O. SBE suggested that instead of refarming the 2 GHz band into six 12.1-MHz wide channels and one 12.4-MHz wide channel, that the band instead be refarmed into seven exactly 12-MHz wide main channels, and that the remaining 1 MHz be used for lower and upper DRL bands, each 0.5-MHz wide (Fig. 2). Doing so keeps the center frequencies of the channels, and their splits, integer multiples of the 250 kHz synthesizer step resolution used by digital ENG radios. Whereas 12.1-MHz or 12.4-MHz wide channels would have required a 50 kHz synthesizer resolution to achieve the channel center frequencies.

The DRL bands are subdivided into twenty 25-kHz narrow band channels. The intent is to allow automatic transmitter power control (ATPC), in support of split-channel operations in the Category I ENG markets. Split-channel operation requires approximately equal amplitude incoming ENG feeds, and an ATPC system could be used to back off the power of a feed from a nearby ENG truck to match the signal level of an ENG truck transmitting from a more distant location. As a result of the formal FCC adoption of the SBE 2 GHz band plan, the ATSC’s Technology & Standards Group authorized the creation of a Subcommittee 3 Specialist Group on Digital ENG (TSG-S3). TSG-S3 began work on a technical standard for the DRL channels in 2004, culminating in the A/82 DRL standard, adopted in 2008. Because of the narrow bandwidth and 25KG1D 19.2 kbps QPSK digital modulation specified in A/82 for the DRL signal, the robust link budget for the DRL channels ensures that if an ENG truck can achieve lock for its incoming feed to an ENG-RO site, then a DRL receiver at the ENG truck should have no problem receiving the “handshake” DRL signal from the DRL transmitter at the ENG-RO site.

Even though hardware to implement the DRL channels is not yet available, the 1 MHz of DRL spectrum has proven useful as de facto guard bands against high-power CMRS base stations in bands immediately below and above the 2,025–2,110 MHz TV BAS band. However, the now greatly expanded use of 2 GHz by DoD—and the funding likely to be available to implement that expanded use of 2 GHz—suggests that the development of retrofit modules for the existing universe of modern, frequency-agile, modulation-agile, programmable ENG radios, to finally implement DRL channels, appears within reach. It matters not that the primary use of the DRL channels may turn out to be as polite protocol beacons to allow practical DSA (i.e., coordination) by DoD, and only secondarily to make split-channel operation more practical. The important feature is that a DRL transmitter on a high-elevation ENG-RO site would make it likely that DoD could reliably monitor these beacon signals, and provide a practical means of detecting all ENG activity in a given area; that is, avoiding the hidden node problem for polite protocol sharing.

The need for BAS operations in the 2 GHz band may disappear someday. For now, though, the DoD elephant in the room resembles the entire camel, and EIBASS and broadcasters must do everything we can to protect existing licensees.

Dane Ericksen, P.E., CSRTE, 8-VSB, CBNT, is co-chair for Engineers for the Integrity of Broadcast Auxiliary Services Spectrum (EIBASS), and was chairman of the ATSC TSG-S3 Specialist Group on Digital ENG (2004-2009).