FCC Ignoring Interference Problems, Not Driving Consensus, Says NAB’s Kaplan

The FCC is ignoring a potential interference problem in the incentive auction and failing to drive consensus, said NAB Executive Vice President Rick Kaplan in a blog post Tuesday (http://bit.ly/17AeYn2). In response to a blog post by Wireless Bureau Chief Ruth Milkman (CD June 24 p1) endorsing a variable band plan -- in which wireless and broadcast operate use the same spectrum in different areas -- Kaplan said the FCC is not considering the widely held “consensus” belief that such a plan would lead to crippling co-channel interference. “Most notably, in [the FCC’s] unyielding quest and determination for reclaiming variable amounts of spectrum in different markets, the inherent interference consequences of a variable approach are simply being ignored,” said Kaplan. “The staff steadfastly refuses to study the issue with any rigor, model it or even ask a single question about it."

Kaplan said that outside the FCC, many companies and organizations with interest in the auction are concerned about co-channel interference. “Even though the Wireless Bureau dismissed the problem without any analysis ... AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Qualcomm, Ericsson and others have joined in to second the notion that further work on the subject is required,” he said. Matt Wood, Free Press policy director, also sees an interference problem. “There are problems with any kind of variable band plan,” he said. “A lot of stakeholders don’t see a lot of value sticking with what the FCC has proposed.” Free Press will file comments in that vein later that week, he said. However, Wood also downplayed the need for consensus on a band plan. “Consensus for its own sake is not something the FCC needs to be cognizant of,” said Wood. He said outside input shouldn’t “sway the FCC and take them away from their own best opinion."

Engineers who work with spectrum expressed to us concern about the variable plan. “We've cited several examples where common use by different services has resulted in interference,” said Don Everist, president of engineering firm Cohen, Dippell and Everist. “This doesn’t bode well for what the commission has envisioned.” The plan isn’t “compatible” said Bob du Treil, president of engineering firm du Treil, Lundin & Rackley, about broadcast and wireless uses sharing the same spectrum. “They have different heights, different power levels, different objectives in service,” he said. “You need to have wireless spectrum that’s 100 percent for wireless and vice versa with broadcast.”

Kaplan said the commission could potentially solve the interference problem by working more closely with industry officials and other stakeholders, and has said the commission should create a mixed public/private working group to address the interference issue. The commission “will continue to engage with stakeholders on the technical framework that will underpin the new spectrum for mobile broadband,” said a spokesman. “This input will be critical to our effort to craft an effective incentive auction.” Everist said he doesn’t believe co-channel interference in a variable band plan could be resolved “in my lifetime.”

If a variable plan can’t be worked out, NAB has an alternative that Kaplan said would eliminate the interference problem and clear “a robust amount” of spectrum in each market. He said the commission should determine how much spectrum it wants from the auction and how much revenue would be needed to reach it, analyze repacking scenarios ahead of the auction to determine where the commission will need volunteers to give up spectrum and then use the auction funds to pay broadcasters where there is a spectrum crunch and “repack broadcasters to the nationwide spectrum target in markets where no volunteers are needed.” This plan would allow the commission to “maximize its use of the information it has up front -- where it will, and will not, need participants under various scenarios -- and then focus its financial incentive efforts on the areas where volunteers are truly needed,” Kaplan said.

Wood said he doesn’t believe the auction process will move ahead much until all five commissioner positions are filled, and that he has doubts the commission will make its 2014 deadline for the auction even then. “This is just a lot to do,” said Wood. “The FCC has a lot to balance.”