T-Mobile, others file opposition to FCC's AWS-3 test results

T-Mobile along with AT&T, Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Nortel, Qualcomm, U.S. Cellular and CTIA filed comments that oppose the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology's (OET) report that use of the AWS-3 band would not pose an interference threat to to the adjacent AWS-1 band occupied by T-Mobile, AT&T and others.

The filers argue AWS-3 spectrum use would cause harmful interference to networks in the AWS-1 band and claim the OET's report was erroneous as the group used incorrect variables in modeling assumptions and made mistakes in logic regarding power levels as well as incorrect estimates of overload interference effects. The group of companies want the OET to reconsider its findings.

The FCC wants to auction the AWS-3 band on a nationwide basis and require the winning bidder to dedicate 25 percent of its network capacity to free broadband service and allow open access to third-party devices and applications. M2Z has been lobbying the FCC to move forward with the auction plan and accuses incumbents such as T-Mobile of stifling competition.

"When generally accepted engineering practices are utilized, it is clear that AWS-3 operations under the Commission's proposed technical limits will cause significant and frequent harmful interference to millions of American consumers," they wrote.

The FCC has not indicated when it will vote to move forward on the issue, but T-Mobile has said it could possibly file a lawsuit if the FCC still votes to move ahead on the plan.

For more:
- read Wireless Week [1]

Related articles:
T-Mobile plans to file objection to FCC AWS-3 interference findings [2]
AWS-3, white spaces clear initial hurdles [3] but will they survive?
FCC: AWS-3 band won't interfere [4] with T-Mobile's WCDMA network