FCC Explores Options for Advanced Wireless Services

The FCC (www.fcc.gov) is investigating whether certain spectrum can be used for advanced wireless services, including third-generation (3G) systems.

In releasing its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the federal agency begins its query into the possible use of frequency bands below 3 GHz to support these new advanced wireless services. Such advanced services “could provide a wide range of voice, data and broadband services to the public over a variety of mobile and fixed networks,” the FCC says in its proceeding.

It’s an issue that cannot be ignored. Capital investment in the wireless mobile industry has quadrupled since 1994 to more than $70 billion through 1999, the FCC reports. And the exponential growth of the Internet means that an additional allocation of spectrum is likely necessary to support anticipated demand for consumer mobile data services, according to the federal agency.

Likewise, wireless providers in the United States and elsewhere have begun to offer mobile data services, such as Internet access, e-mail, and short messaging service. The number of subscribers for wireless mobile service has more than doubled since 1996 to 86 million subscribers through 1999. Revenues over the same time period doubled to roughly $21 billion even while service rates continued to decrease, the FCC says.

“Although the anticipated increased demand for new data services, as well as expected continued increases in mobile telephone service, may be met in part by the introduction of new technologies and continued spectrum management policies, we recognize that additional spectrum may be needed to meet these new and increased demands,” the FCC said. The commission plans to determine both the amount and availability of these additional spectrum requirements.

Advanced wireless systems could provide, for example, a wide range of voice, data and broadband services over a variety of mobile and fixed networks. Specifically, the FCC is interested in the possibility of introducing new advanced mobile and fixed services in frequency bands currently used for cellular, broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS), and Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) services, as well as in five other frequency bands: 1710-1755 MHz, 1755-1850 MHz, 2110-2150 MHz, 2160-2165 MHz and 2500-2690 MHz.

Concerning the possible use of these additional bands for advanced wireless systems, the NPRM does the following:

1. Proposes to allocate for mobile and fixed services the 1710-1755 MHz band that was designated for reallocation from federal government to non-federal government use;

2. Seeks comment on providing mobile and fixed service allocations for the 1755-1850 MHz band, if spectrum in the band is made available for non-federal government use;

3. Proposes to designate advanced mobile and fixed service use of the 2110-2150 MHz and 2160-2165 MHz bands that are currently used for a variety of fixed and mobile services;

4. Seeks comment on various approaches for the 2500-2690 MHz band, which is currently used for Multichannel Multipoint Distribution and Instructional Television Fixed Services.

In similar fashion, the International Telecommunication Union (www.itu.int) for many years has been fostering the development of advanced wireless systems, also known as International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) or 3G systems. The ITU has developed a series of technical recommendations defining the major characteristics of IMT-2000 radio systems in an effort to minimize the number of radio interfaces, maximize their commonality, and provide a transition path to 3G systems from first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) technologies.

The ITU also has identified a number of frequency bands that could be used to implement 3G systems. The study of IMT-2000 and 3G implementation currently is ongoing.

The FCC is taking note of the ITU’s actions in this new proceeding. Comments in the NPRM will be due in 30-40 days.

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