Intel weighs in on AWS-3 debate

Intel is weighing in on what has become a highly contentious debate between M2Z and T-Mobile over the FCC's proposed AWS-3 auction that would create a 25-megahertz swath of spectrum to support a nationwide license. The chip giant wants to ensure that the FCC doesn't change the proposed interference protections that T-Mobile is fighting so hard against. Doing so, Intel argued, could have a negative impact on the deployment of WiMAX in the TDD band.

M2Z and T-Mobile have been trading barbs over the interference issue. T-Mobile claims existing interference protections are adequate for the AWS-3 band, which is adjacent to the vast amounts of AWS spectrum T-Mobile already owns. FCC engineers conducted interference tests at a Boeing facility near Seattle in early September, but have not made the results public.  

Intel said in a filing that any further changes in interference limits "could have global implications in the deployment of new services using TDD technology such as WiMAX." As such, Intel agrees with M2Z that the potential instances of interference are minor for T-Mobile.

T-Mobile has submitted to the FCC a statistical analysis that concluded the "probability of call failure is greater than 60 percent for AWS-1 users with AWS-3 routers in their homes and nearly 30 percent if their neighbor is operating an AWS-3 router."

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T-Mobile asks FCC to explain AWS-3 test results [2]
AWS-3 spectrum debate festers [3]
T-Mobile, others say [4] [5]tests proved interference [4] 
FCC to begin [6] [5]AWS-3 interference tests [6]
M2Z asks FCC to reject more AWS-3 interference tests [5]