At its open Commission meeting last Thursday, the FCC adopted a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 04-135) that revised the rules for the Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS) and ITFS (Instructional Television Fixed Service) to make it easier to deploy broadband services in this spectrum while protecting use of the band for educational purposes. Details won't be available until the FCC releases the text of FCC 04-135, but an FCC news release, FCC Promotes the Deployment of Wireless Broadband Services by Creating New Rules for the 2495-2690 MHz Band While Protecting Educational Services, outlined the major changes. These include eliminating many of the 6 MHz-wide channels interleaved between ITFS and MDS and replacing them with fewer, larger 16.5 MHz blocks consisting of three 5.5 MHz-wide channels that are not interleaved. Five blocks are reserved for ITFS and three blocks for the Broadband Radio Service or BRS. Two 6 MHz-wide MDS channels will be moved from 2.1 GHz band into the 2495-2690 MHz band. Note that this band has been expanded by 5 MHz on the lower band edge, from 2500 to 2495 MHz.
In addition to the two 6 MHz-wide MDS channels moved from the 2.1 GHz band, the new band plans includes five 6 MHz-wide channels for ITFS and two for BRS. Guard-bands were established on either side of the block of BRS and ITFS 6-MHz channels and at the lower band edge. Although the news release did not provide details, it said the allocations and guard bands would separate high-power and low-power operations and creates incentives for the development of low-power cellularized broadband operations.
Although cable operators will not be able to provide multichannel video programming distribution using BRS channels, the new rules allow cable operators to license the channels for other uses. ITFS operators can lease spectrum to BRS providers, provided they comply with existing educational content requirements. All existing MDS-ITFS leases are grandfathered under the new rules. Operators have the freedom to license frequencies for a geographic area and employ the technology of their choice.
The Report and Order outlines a procedure for transitioning existing MDS/ITFS operations to the new band plan on a market by market basis, but requested comment on possible changes to the transition plan in the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking portion of FCC 04-135.
When FCC 04-135 is released, I'll have more specifics on the type of operation and power levels allowed under the new band plan. Until then, refer to the FCC news release for more information, including a color graph showing the differences between the old and new band plans. For information on changes in the 2.4 GHz "S-band" allocations to add the extra five MHz to the MDS/BRS/ITFS spectrum, see the FCC News Release "Commission Adopts Spectrum Sharing Plan to Promote Efficient Use of Spectrum."
