AT&T Proposes to Auction Off CBRS Spectrum
The company proposed exclusive licenses for the currently-shared Citizens Broadband Radio Service at 3.5 GigaHertz.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2024 – AT&T proposed a change in how the 3 GigaHertz (GHz) band is allocated that would see wireless companies scoop up more exclusive licenses in the band. Spectrum sharing proponents did not like the plan.
The company’s proposal would see users of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, the three-tiered spectrum sharing framework, moved from the 3.55-3.7 GHz band to the 3.1-3.3 GHz band – currently Defense Department spectrum. The band where CBRS currently operates would be auctioned off for licensed use by 5G companies.
“This approach would give the U.S. 530 megahertz of contiguous licensed mid-band spectrum to support 5G, with potential future expansion at both ends of the band,” Rhonda Johnson, AT&T’s executive vice president of federal regulatory relations, wrote in a blog post Wednesday. The subject of spectrum sharing was also highlighted in Wednesday's Broadband Breakfast Live Online event.
Broadband Breakfast
“In light of the demonstrated high demand for full-power, primary licenses at 3 GHz, auction revenues can be expected to be considerable,” said Johnson.
Navy systems sit at the top of the CBRS hierarchy, getting protection from any interference. Below them are priority license holders, who get protection from everyone with a freely available general access authorization. Priority and general access users are varied, but they include wireless ISPs and cable companies providing mobile service through deals with the major carriers.
The wireless industry does not like CBRS or sharing systems like it, preferring the exclusive licenses they use to provide service – and sometimes fixed broadband that’s been eating into cable’s customer base.
Spectrum sharing proponents were not happy about the idea. CTIA, the 5G industry group, did not respond to a request for comment.
“AT&T’s proposal is a red herring premised on wishing away the U.S. Navy’s need to continue using CBRS spectrum,” Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project at New America said in an email. “Clearing military radar off an additional 150 megahertz of spectrum in 3 GHz is the gating question and highly unlikely.”
He added: “CBRS is now widely used and is proving to be the innovation band the FCC intended it to be. CBRS provides local spectrum access to a wide variety of enterprises, schools, rural wireless ISPs and other operators while protecting incumbent U.S Navy systems.”
Spectrum for the Future, a spectrum sharing group including some cable companies, said AT&T was trying to quash competition.
“Rather than make a good-faith suggestion for improving CBRS, AT&T is simply proposing to restrict others’ use of spectrum, short-circuit innovation, threaten military services, and undermine America’s future global leadership in spectrum sharing technologies. ” Tamara Smith, the group’s spokesperson, said in a statement. “The future of spectrum is shared, and we shouldn’t be wasting time with anti-competitive proposals to roll back the clock.”
The Federal Communications Commission is separately taking comments on updating the CBRS framework, including changes to protection methodologies and increased power levels, among many other things – all of which AT&T said wasn’t a big enough change. After stakeholders asked for more time to do studies and come to a consensus, the agency pushed the comment deadline to November 6, with reply comments due December 5.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is also studying the lower 3 GHz band, where AT&T would see CBRS users share access with the DoD incumbents, for potential repurposing as part of the White House's spectrum strategy.
