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Industrial IoT and CBRS coalitions want compromise rules for 3.5 GHz band

In the U.S. mobile operators aren’t the only businesses who can make beneficial use of spectrum. For operators tasked with delivering more and more capacity to keep up with consumer usage, more spectrum is key component of bolstering network performance. For industrial players looking to implement internet of things solutions, private networks could serve as a key component of digital transformation strategies. As the Federal Communications Commission considers how to make the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band available for shared access, two new coalitions are pushing for rules that don’t leave behind industrial companies and small, largely rural, service providers.

Based on a review of recent filings with the FCC, two new coalitions, the Industrial Internet of Things Coalition and CBRS Coalition, are pushing policymakers for compromise rules that support a wide range of CBRS use cases beyond voice and data.

The IIoT Coalition comprises Edison Electric Institute, Enterprise Wireless Association, GE, pdvWireless, the Port of Los Angeles, Southern Linc, Pacific Union and the Utilities Technology Council. The CBRS Coalition is made up of Cox Communications, Edison Electric Institute, Enterprise Wireless Alliance, Exelon Corporation, FedEx, Frontier Communications, GE, Motorola, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, the Rural Broadband Association, pdvWireless, the Port of Los Angeles, Rural Wireless Association, Southern Linc, Transit Wireless, Union Pacific, Utilities Technology Council, Windstream Holdings and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.

As it relates to CBRS, the FCC is considering a three-tiered spectrum access system that protects incumbent users while opening up priority access and general access licenses. The spectrum access system would prioritize spectral access based on the level of access each type of license affords. Open items are the length of licensure term and geographic area associated with the license, Census tracts versus much larger Partial Economic Areas. At a high-level, longer licensure terms and larger licensure areas would favor national mobile operators.

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