M2z

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

Lynnette Luna — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:28:53 -0400

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

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

FCC: AWS-3 band won't interfere with T-Mobile's WCDMA network

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:19:55 -0400

Much to the chagrin of T-Mobile, FCC's Office of Engineering has tentatively concluded that services operating in the proposed AWS-3 band can co-exist with T-Mobile's WCDMA network that uses the adjacent AWS-1 band "without a significant risk of harmful interference."

Last month, the FCC sent its engineers to Seattle to conduct tests to determine whether interference would be a problem between the two bands. The FCC is keen on auctioning the 2155-2180 MHz band to support a nationwide license. The commission'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 has been lobbying the FCC for years to open up the band, has been submitting filings saying T-Mobile's assertions are wrong. The FCC published the raw data from the study Sept. 12 but refrained from interpreting the results as it continues with the AWS-3 rulemaking proceeding. T-Mobile was pushing the FCC to release those results.

The FCC said it conducted the same tests conducted by Optimi Corp. on behalf of T-Mobile. The results of that study, T-Mobile said, show AWS-3 services cause harmful interference to mobile devices in the AWS-1 band. AT&T, CTIA, MetroPCS and Nokia Siemens Networks have concurred with T-Mobile that the tests proved interference.

The FCC's tentative conclusion certainly won't be the last word on the subject. T-Mobile has continually reminded the FCC that it has a legal obligation to protect AWS-1 licensees. The FCC acknowledged in its report that the FCC "has in the past adopted less stringent [out-of-band-emissions] standards under flexible service rules whereby the licensees and industry work together cooperatively to manage potential interference."

For more:
- check out the FCC's report

Related articles:
T-Mobile asks FCC to explain AWS-3 test results
AWS-3 spectrum debate festers
T-Mobile takes M2Z to task over AWS-3 auction arguments
T-Mobile, others say tests proved interference
M2Z: T-Mobile's interference argument over AWS-3 spectrum flawed

Intel weighs in on AWS-3 debate

Lynnette Luna — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:40:03 -0400

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."

For more:
- check out RCR News

Related articles:
T-Mobile asks FCC to explain AWS-3 test results
AWS-3 spectrum debate festers
T-Mobile, others say tests proved interference
FCC to begin AWS-3 interference tests
M2Z asks FCC to reject more AWS-3 interference tests

FCC to begin AWS-3 interference tests

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:15:31 -0400

The FCC, champing at the bit to auction spectrum in the AWS-3 band for a nationwide broadband network that will offer free service, is sending its engineers to Seattle next week to commence tests that will determine whether signals coming from this band would interfere with T-Mobile's WCDMA network in the adjacent AWS-1 band. FCC engineers plan to use some of T-Mobile's own equipment to conduct the tests, and they will also set their own testing parameters.

The FCC wants to create a 25-megahertz swath of spectrum, known as AWS-3, that would support a nationwide license. The agency would require the licensee to dedicate 25 percent of its network capacity to free broadband service, install a network-based Internet filtering system to block pornography 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.

For more:
- check out Cellular-News

Related stories:
M2Z: T-Mobile's interference argument over AWS-3 spectrum flawed
M2Z asks FCC to reject more AWS-3 interference tests
T-Mobile takes M2Z to task over AWS-3 auction arguments

Anxiety rises over FCC's AWS-3 auction plans

Lynnette Luna — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:24:13 -0400

Despite the mounting criticism lobbed at FCC Chairman Kevin Martin over the commission's plan to auction spectrum that would require the winning bidder to offer free wireless broadband, there is no sign the chairman plans to abandon the plan, says an article in RCR Wireless News. That means the FCC is on track to adopt final rules for the Advanced Wireless Services-3 spectrum--the 2155-2175 MHz and 2175-2180 MHz bands--as soon as next month.

The chairman apparently sees that Democrats, who control Congress, support his efforts, but leading operators and Republican lawmakers are increasing the heat in hopes of getting the FCC to reconsider its plans. They believe such a move could be a repeat of the 700 MHz D-block debacle where the swath of spectrum didn't meet the minimum bid requirement.

"We think your proposed rules could repeat this mistake by tailoring the AWS-3 spectrum largely to the business model of a single party," Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) said in a letter to Martin. "Placing these conditions would result in the commission choosing winners and losers, as well as denying taxpayers the added revenue the spectrum would likely fetch if auctioned without the conditions." Of course, the single party the lawmakers are referring to is M2Z, which has been lobbying the FCC for two years with a similar plan.

The commission is proposing to combine the 2155 to 2175 MHz band with the 2175 MHz to 2180 MHz band to create a 25-megahertz swath of spectrum that would support a nationwide license. The spectrum is referred to as advanced wireless services-3 and would require the licensee to dedicate 25 percent of its network capacity to free broadband service, install a network-based Internet filtering system to block pornography and allow open access to third-party devices and applications.

Analysis from the Phoenix Center says that the FCC's proposed auction of a nationwide 25-megahertz license in the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) band would garner about $2.8 billion at auction if the license didn't come attached with these conditions.

For more:
- read RCR Wireless News

Related stories:
T-Mobile calls for delay of FCC's free wireless broadband initiative. T-Mobile story
Report: AWS-3 license would fetch $2.8B without FCC's conditions. AWS-3 story
Interview with M2Z: Free wireless broadband can work. M2Z interview
FCC looks to fast-track free wireless broadband network initiative. Wireless broadband story