FCC moves to mandate shared use in the 3.1-3.55 GHz band

WASHINGTON, December 12, 2019—Today, the Federal Communications Commission proposed changes to the rules governing the 3.1-3.55 GHz band, which would be the first step to making spectrum in this band available for advanced commercial services, including 5G.

The demand for mid-band spectrum for broadband services, especially 5G, has grown dramatically in recent years.  The MOBILE NOW Act, passed by Congress last year, requires the Commission and the Department of Commerce to make available new spectrum for mobile and fixed wireless broadband use, and further requires the Commission to work with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to evaluate whether commercial wireless services and federal incumbents could share use of mid-band spectrum between 3.1 and 3.55 GHz.  Consistent with the Commission’s responsibilities under the MOBILE NOW Act, today’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is an initial step toward potential future shared use of this spectrum between federal operations and flexible use commercial services.

Specifically, the item proposes to remove and relocate the non-federal users in the 3.3-3.55 GHz portion of the band, which currently is allocated for non-federal secondary radiolocation services and amateur use.  The item also seeks comment on the relocation options and transition mechanisms for these incumbent non-federal users to the 3.1-3.3 GHz band or to other frequencies.