New Update:
On August 10, 2020, the White House announced plans to make 100 MHz of the 3.1 – 3.55 GHz “mid-band” spectrum band available for commercial use. The plans include an auction for the spectrum expected to be held beginning December 2021.
5G Americas issued the following statement:
“We are pleased that the White House has led the Department of Defense and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to support commercial access in the upper 100 MHz of the 3.1-3.55 GHZ band, at full commercial power. Mid-band spectrum, including 3.45 -3.55 GHz, is important for the deployment of 5G in the United States. Many countries around the world have agreed on spectrum from 3.3 – 3.8 GHz to provide both capacity and coverage for 5G deployments. 5G Americas is encouraged that the White House is urging the Federal Communications Commission to issue a proposed rulemaking as soon as possible on licensed commercial access to the band, to auction more mid-band spectrum for 5G next year, so that Americans can realize the full potential of 5G services and applications.
March 24, 2020
5G Americas provides comments in response to the Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“Notice”) concerning the use of the 3.1-3.55 band.
5G Americas thanks the Commission for moving forward on the critically important 3.3 – 3.55 GHz band, and for its recognition that the band, as well as the entire mid-band range up to 4.2 GHz, is being harmonized globally for 5G. Accordingly, 5G Americas not only supports the Commission’s proposal to relocate non-federal secondary allocations out of the band to prepare it for commercial wireless use, but advises that the Commission, when it does make the Lower 3 GHz band available for commercial use, does so under exclusive commercial licenses and with 5G-friendly rules. 5G Americas, like most industry participants in the proceeding, encourages the Commission to continue to review the rest of the Lower 3 GHz band that Congress directed it to study. This approach will best position the U.S. to lead the world in 5G.
For More Information:
FCC Considers Facilitating Shared Use in the 3.1-3.55 GHz Band