FCC proposes rules to expand 900 MHz broadband to 5x5 MHzFCC proposes rules to expand 900 MHz broadband to 5x5 MHz

FCC commissioners last week approved proposed that would permit broadband-wireless operation on 900 MHz spectrum—much of which is licensed to Anterix—that supported only land-mobile-radio (LMR) communications less than six years ago.

Under the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the FCC proposes a framework that is designed to enable broadband deployment—primarily 4G LTE—thoughout the 896-901/935-940 MHz band. The NPRM was approved without the participation of FCC Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Anna Gomez, according to the text of the item.

Chris Guttman-McCabe, chief regulatory and corporate communications officer for Anterix, applauded the FCC’s efforts to consider and approve the NPRM, which was the subject of a petition that was submitted on Feb. 28 last year.

“The first process—from the filing of our first petition to now—moved very quickly,” Guttman-McCabe said during an interview with Urgent Communications. “On behalf of Anterix and our nine other co-petitioners, I think we’re very excited. It’s a good reflection of the record, and the record was great.”

In addition to Anterix, the initial 900 MHz petition was supported by: Ameren, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA), Evergy, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), Portland General Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern Company’s Southern Linc, the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBA) and Xcel Energy.

FCC commissioners approved rules in 2020 that allowed the 900 MHz band to be transitioned from an all-LMR swath to 3x3 MHz of broadband—largely licensed to Anterix—and 2x2 MHz of LMR operations. Under the new NPRM, the other 2x2 MHz of LMR spectrum also could be transformed to broadband, but only with the agreement of LMR incumbents, according to Guttman-McCabe.

“The proposal is to offer the opportunity to expand the rules throughout the band,” he said. “The primary proposal is that all incumbents are treated in a voluntary nature; that’s what we put in our petition. The idea is that you have work with the incumbents to find a new location or home for them.

“We look at it as an element of doing business in this band—to do it voluntarily. That’s what we’ve been doing, so far. We’ve cleared close to three quarters of the incumbents in the 3x3 [MHz swath] through a voluntary process, so we believe we can do that moving forward.”

When the 900 MHz spectrum plan was revamped to support broadband under the 2020 order, narrowband incumbents could move their systems to the nearby 2x2 MHz within the band. This NPRM—if approved—would require much more significant moves to clear the entire 5x5 MHz for broadband.

Possibilities under this scenario include relocating LMR networks to 800 MHz or 220 MHz, as well as the incumbent choosing to use the utility’s 900 MHz broadband system, Guttman-McCabe said.

“The beauty of 5x5 is that you’re working with the incumbent utility to help clear that marketplace,” Guttman-McCabe said. “You’re working with the entity that is providing electricity to that incumbent and trying to give everyone in that footprint a better quality of service.

“This stuff is complicated, but that’s OK.”

Utilities have not floated use cases that demand more than the current 3x3 MHz of spectrum, but Guttman-McCabe said the additional proposed spectrum that could be cleared under the NPRM would provide users with greater capacity to add to their applications portfolios and/or support services for other enterprises..

“So, it’s more capabilities internally for a utility, and it’s more opportunity for utilities to serve even more entities within their footprint,” Guttman-McCabe said.

Anterix proposed the 5x5 MHz broadband idea in the 900 MHz band to the FCC in its lengthy initial proceeding that was finalized in 2020, but the FCC determined that the notion was “premature” at the time. The fact that the FCC has approved an NPRM to potentially expand broadband to a 5x5 MHz swath is a tribute to the demand that is evident for private LTE solutions for utilities operating on the airwaves, according to Guttman-McCabe.

“Four years ago, I never could have guessed that we would have nine other organizations joining us on this petition, that we would have more than 30 entities filing in support, that we would have 120 companies building products,” Guttman-McCabe said.

Guttman-McCabe noted that private LTE networking via Anterix is different from even prioritized service from a commercial wireless carrier.

“Even with network slicing, your capability is still just a component of a commercial offering,” he said. “You’re still subject to [carriers’] technology, to their capacity, to where they actually have coverage and things like that.

“This is different. The key driving element of this is control. The utilities have control of every element—from where to place their towers to the length of backup power to the strength of guy wires to the prioritization of their bits and beyond.”

News of the FCC’s 900 MHz broadband NPRM was welcomed by seven utilities and two organizations that signed the petition last year.

“We applaud the FCC for its leadership and commitment to improving the operations and security of our nation’s evolving electric grid through the deployment of private LTE enabled by 900 MHz broadband spectrum,” UBA Executive Director Bobbi Harris said in a prepared statement.

“Critical-communications capabilities are playing a key role in the grid’s ongoing evolution to support our nation’s resilient energy future, and today’s action by the commission is an incredible step toward enhancing those benefits.” 

EWA President and CEO Robin Cohen echoed this sentiment.

“Today, enterprise organizations across 15 states already are deploying modern wireless 900 MHz broadband networks to support their evolving communications needs,” Cohen said in a prepared statement. “This NPRM provides the optionality of more broadband spectrum, as the growing 900 MHz movement can support future deployment of additional users and use cases in this communications evolution.”

The FCC NPRM for 900 MHz broadband was approved less than three weeks after Anterix announced that utility veteran Tom Kuhn would replace Morgan O’Brien as chairman of the Anterix board.