Wireless Bureau Extends NFL's CBRS Waiver

The FCC Wireless Bureau granted the NFL a two-year extension of rules for the citizens broadband radio service Wednesday, allowing the league to continue operating a coach-to-coach communications system in the event of a localized internet outage in stadiums during games. The FCC sought comment in July (see 2307050028) and NCTA raised concerns but didn’t oppose the waiver (see 2307180042). The NFL “reiterates many of its claims about its coach-to-coach communications system, but also states that it has spent the past several months conducting due diligence into implementing a technological solution beyond its current ISP redundancy in each NFL stadium,” the bureau said. “We find that a limited extension of the conditional waiver to allow the NFL to complete due diligence on a rules-compliant technical solution … is in the public interest.” The bureau ordered the league to submit a report in March explaining what it's doing “at each NFL stadium to avoid interruptions” in spectrum access system connectivity and “details regarding any remaining impediments to achieving compliance with the Commission’s rules.”