Public notice seeks help in resolving technical incompatibilities among various services.
We reported back in August on an FCC proceeding to open up more spectrum for broadband backhaul – i.e., the transport of signals between networks and from cell towers, which in turn communicate with users’ phones and tablets.
Among the options proposed by the FCC is letting the Fixed Service (FS), a category that includes most backhaul, share spectrum at 7 and 13 GHz now used by the Broadcast Auxiliary Service (BAS) and Cable TV Relay Service (CARS).
Commenters have told the FCC there are technical incompatibilities between the FS, on the one hand, and BAS and CARS on the other. After hearing from the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition, which speaks for many FS users, and the Engineers for the Integrity of Broadcast Auxiliary Services Spectrum, for BAS, the FCC also did some research of its own, coming up with a set of maps showing BAS and CARS usage nationwide. Based on those, it seeks comment on the feasibility of spectrum sharing based on geographic separation between FS facilities and certain mobile BAS operations. It considers reserving some spectrum for exclusively BAS use. And the public notice also seeks to resolve discrepant channelization plans, coordination procedures, and capacity and loading requirements among the various services.
There is only one comment date, and it comes up very soon: June 27, 2011.