T-Mobile, others say tests proved interference

Last week, the FCC sent its engineers to Seattle to conduct tests to determine whether signals coming from the AWS-3 band will interfere with T-Mobile's WCDMA network that uses the adjacent AWS-1 band. Yesterday, a number of companies and organizations observing the tests released an early reaction to the results that gives support to T-Mobile's claims of interference. They shared that response with Fierce.

"The interference scenarios would not be rare," the groups wrote in a letter to the FCC. "Under normal operating conditions interference to AWS-1 devices from AWS-3 operations, should the Commission adopt its proposed technical rules, would be widespread and prevalent."

Organizations signing the letter said their statement represented their "unified thoughts" on the outcome of the testing. The authors included AT&T, CTIA, MetroPCS, Nokia Siemens Networks, and T-Mobile USA. Companies present at the testing that did not sign the letter, were Sirius XM Satellite Radio and M2Z Networks, according to these authors. The Sirius and M2Z reactions were unknown at press time.

The outcome of the tests is important because the FCC wants to create a swath of spectrum, known as AWS-3, that would support a nationwide license. The FCC's ambition is to require the licensee to dedicate 25 percent of its network capacity to free broadband service and allow open access to third-party devices and applications. T-Mobile has been adamantly opposed to the plan, citing interference concerns. M2Z, which wants to bid on the spectrum, has been submitting filings saying T-Mobile's assertions are wrong.