Spectrum Is Back—Again!

We've been moving aggressively to get things done since Day One of the new Commission. This is especially true of our work on spectrum-the invisible airwaves that power our wireless connectivity. After all, making progress on spectrum both up and down the Table of Frequency Allocations is vital to our economic and national security interests.

That's why we're working to enable greater and more intensive use of this valuable resource not only here on Earth but also in space. And we will kick off the Commission's next meeting with a Final Frontiers spectrum item that seeks to unleash even faster and more robust broadband services from space. Specifically, we will look to update our rules in the frequencies commonly known by satellite aficionados (read: nerds) as the Ka- and Ku- bands. These are workhorse satellite frequencies that support the next generation of mega constellations in low-Earth orbit. Unfortunately, new innovations have been held back by FCC technical rules that we adopted thirty years ago. Power limits developed in the 1990s to protect geostationary satellite systems from interference continue to restrict the performance of non-geostationary satellite systems, even though advancements in sharing technology arguably make the rules of the past no longer necessary. To fuel the growth of these new satellite broadband services, the Commission will vote to take a fresh look at the decades-old spectrum sharing regime between geostationary and non-geostationary satellite systems in these spectrum bands. Nerds and non-nerds alike may soon rejoice as they get even better service from space.

Back here on Earth, we are also looking at creative ways the FCC can unleash wireless innovation in underutilized spectrum bands. One of those opportunities is the lower 37 GHz band, which may be used to support services like fixed wireless broadband and the Internet of Things. This spectrum is currently shared by the government and commercial entities, but there are no clear sharing rules for this spectrum, which is keeping companies from moving forward with deployments. So this month, the Commission will vote to establish a new licensing framework for this band, effectively opening up 600 megahertz of spectrum for new commercial services.

Of course, spectrum is not the only area where we are moving fast. We are continuing the FCC's longstanding efforts to crack down on illegal robocalls. And we are not taking this month off. At this next meeting, we're looking to plug another loophole that bad actors may be exploiting. Specifically, the Commission's rules that created the STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication framework have made it harder for scammers to trick people into answering their phones by displaying familiar (but spoofed) numbers. For all the progress this framework has enabled, the caller authentication tool only works for calls that traverse modern, Internet Protocol networks. This means that bad actors can take advantage of a gap in the framework if their calls traverse a network that uses non-IP technology at any point in the call path. The Commission will consider a proposal to close this gap in our robocall defenses by seeking comment on caller ID authentication tools that can be implemented for non-IP networks while we also encouraging providers to keep modernizing their networks.

Not only are we moving quickly at the Commission, but efficiently too. Take the FCC's foreign ownership rules. Over the years, those regulations have increased almost as quickly as interest in the Heard and McDonald Islands. But in many cases, the FCC never codified those foreign ownership regulations in our rules. Not very efficient! Unwritten rules only make it harder for entities to understand and navigate our requirements, they risk inconsistent outcomes, and they can needlessly raise costs. We therefore initiate a proceeding that looks at codifying our requirements while asking about eliminating any needless ones.

And speaking of efficiencies, congratulations, you have made it through this month's blog. So go ahead and check this off your "to do" list or, if you're stuck inside a law firm on this Friday afternoon, do that and bill a quarter hour to someone.