WASHINGTON—Seeing the handwriting on the wall, the C-Band Alliance reworked plans for splitting the coveted mid-band spectrum by offering 300 MHz of bandwidth to the cellular industry for 5G expansion into U.S. markets.

Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, a new bill was introduced late last week that would force the FCC to conduct a public C-band auction in the major markets, with profits earmarked for rural broadband expansion, and not satellite operators.

The proposed bill muddies the waters, since the C-Band Alliance was feeling fairly confident that, by reorganizing the mid-band spectrum one more time, they could deliver a solution that works for satellite operators and broadband.

Previously the CBA had offered 200 MHz to 5G, but the FCC has made it well known that more spectrum for 5G was required. The increase includes a 20 MHz guard band, leaving 5G with 280 MHz of usable space.

HOW WOULD THE PROPOSED CBA SPLIT WORK?

I know what you’re thinking: How can a mere 200 MHz for C-band’s incumbent users now be adequate, when earlier this year CBA’s “line in the sand” was 200 MHz for 5G/300 MHz for C-band users? According to the CBA, it’s a perfect storm scenario which includes:

• Migrating more non-CONUS clients to lower frequencies;
• A number of customers choosing not to renew their space segment contracts (the CBA noted the natural migration of customers to SD multiplexes, terrestrial, etc.);
• Efficiency gains at the uplink level via encoders and modulators.

WHY CONGRESS AND WHY NOW?

Don’t doubt for a second that broadband (and their lobbyists) have been quite active on Capitol Hill.

This being said, at least a few members are concerned that their “vision” of a 5G America may be stymied by the FCC. In a joint statement, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Energy & Commerce Committee chairman, and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), chairman of the Communications & Technology Subcommittee, stated they believe legislation may be the only way to “reduce uncertainty and benefit Americans.’’

In a nutshell, the Clearing Broad Airwaves for New Deployment (C-BAND) Act:

• Requires the FCC to hold a public auction of C-band spectrum;
• Allow for no less than 200 megahertz and no more than 300 megahertz of C-band spectrum [with 20 MHz set aside for guard bands];
• Ensures that incumbent C-band users will be protected by mandating that they get as good or better service than before.

Of course, this eleventh hour grandstanding is concerning to satellite operators. If this bill passes, who picks up the tab for the new filters, repoints and—in some cases—antennas that broadcasters will need to operate with 5G sharing the spectrum? Who will finance the launch of several new satellites?

All of these expenses would be covered under the C-Band Alliance proposal, but are not even addressed by the proposed bill.

DUSTING OFF THE CRYSTAL BALL

Will the FCC accept the CBA proposal? We’d like to answer with a definitive “yes,” but with legislation pending, who really knows?

But what we do know is that the clock is ticking. The mid-band issue has been in limbo for two years, and both C-band operators and 5G advocates are hoping for a decision, and soon. If the bill fails to pass, all indications point to the FCC making their decision in December.

We believe the CBA will be a part of the transition in some fashion, since the alliance has been very vocal in their intent to implement the safe and efficient clearing and repurposing of C-band spectrum. It only makes sense that you should have the owner/operators of the orbital antennas involved, right?

Let’s hope the FCC commissioners agree.

WASHINGTON—Perhaps not surprising following the announcement of a bipartisan bill last week that would mandate a public auction led by the FCC of the C-band spectrum to make way for 5G services, but the key takeaway from the C-band hearing in Congress on Tuesday, Oct. 29, was the support for that plan of action.

The hearing, hosted by the House Communications Subcommittee, took a close look at the Clearing Broad Airwaves for New Deployment (C-BAND) Act introduced by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and others. It also examined the proposal from the C-Band Alliance that was released on Monday, which would see spectrum cleared through a private auction.

Doyle, who presided over the hearing, called CBA’s proposal “deeply disturbing,” explaining that in a private auction the funds from selling the spectrum would go to CBA’s member companies rather than the U.S. Treasury, which is preferred by most legislators to help pay for broadband deployment and next-gen 911. He also called the C-band spectrum a “precious national resource.”

Other witnesses at the hearing supported Doyle and the preference for a public auction. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said that he did not believe that a CBA-led auction would deploy 5G any faster, and that an FCC-led auction would be fairer and more transparent. Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), who also helped write the C-BAND Act, reaffirmed his support of a public auction.

Witnesses from outside of Congress also voiced their support for a public auction, including representatives from ACA Connects, Citizens Against Government Waste and Public Knowledge.

James Frownfelter, chairman of ABS, was one of the only witnesses to support a CBA-led auction, saying the FCC reclaiming and auctioning satellite spectrum in a public auction would be like satellite operators having their spectrum “largely confiscated without compensation.” He also said that about 25% of any proceeds from a CBA-led auction would be directed to the Treasury.

A witness for Cisco did not definitively take a side, but did point out that government-led spectrum transitions have been slow and difficult in the past, and that a private-led auction would be a carrot rather than a stick for band operators.

Claude Aiken, president of WISPA, which represents fixed wireless service providers, used his testimony to remind people that there were additional options beyond an auction, specifically a proposal by the Broadband Access Coalition that uses an auction and sharing spectrum to open up C-band.

The FCC is tasked with determining its plan for the C-band spectrum by the end of this year.

For a full roundup of Tuesday’s testimony, read Multichannel News’story.

WASHINGTON—The C-Band Alliance has shared its idea for paving the way for 5G, providing the FCC with a plan that would free 300 MHz of C-band spectrum. However, the proposal is being criticized by ACA Connects as potentially burdensome and insufficient.

C-band spectrum is used by broadcast and satellite operators to help deliver network programming. That spectrum is being proposed as a way to assist with 5G wireless deployment, and the FCC is currently determining the most effective plan to do so.

This most recent proposal from the CBA, which was issued on the eve of a C-band hearing by Congress, commits to clearing 300 MHz of spectrum, including a 20 MHz guard band that would protect existing satellite services from 5G interference. In previous plans, CBA had proposed clearing 200 MHz for 5G. There is 500 MHz in total available as part of the C-band spectrum.

Also as part of the plan, CBA said that it would make 100 MHz available in the top 46 metropolitan areas within 18 months of the official FCC order and 280 MHz available all across the country within 36 months. The spectrum would be made available through a CBA-led private auction.

“The CBA remains committed to ensuring that existing customers continue to enjoy the quality of service they experience now, with no interference from 5G services deployed in the future,” reads the CBA’s press release detailing the proposal. “The CBA member companies will maintain continuity of all current C-band customer services and maintain the value of the continental U.S. C-band video distribution neighborhoods.”

ACA Connects, a trade organization representing smaller and medium-size providers of broadband, quickly came out against the CBA’s proposal.

“At the eleventh hour and fifty-ninth minute, CBS has finally come forward with the rough outlines of a proposal to clear 300 MHz of the C-band,” said ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka. “It’s three-page submission affirms that CBA would rely on the use of video compression to cram all satellite operations into a mere 200 MHz.

“This would saddle rural operators and their customers with higher prices to use a less reliable C-band that is more prone to interference and is unable to meet future demand for high-definition video.”

ACA Connects’ own plan does consist of freeing up 300 MHz, but to do so by transitioning satellite delivery to fiber and repurposing the spectrum through an FCC-led auction. An auction would put money back into the U.S. Treasury to help fund things like rural broadband deployment.

“At any rate, the skeletal outline that CBA has provided is far from a sufficient basis for FCC action to reallocate a multibillion dollar spectrum asset,” Polka added. “Nor does the filing remedy core defects of the CBS plan, including the proposed reliance on an untested, legally unsound private sale of licensed spectrum.”

Polka also said that the proposal is too late to be incorporated into the FCC’s rules by the end of year.