Reps. Urge Protections in Expanded Usage of C-Band Spectrum

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, January 18, 2019 | 12:36pm CT

U.S. Reps. Tony Cardenas (D-CA) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) sent a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Thursday expressing concerns regarding the the agency's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking examining expanded operations in the C-band. While supporting the Commission's efforts to close the digital divide, they requested that the agency ensure any broadband proposals reflect the importance of existing services that may be affected that use the spectrum. This includes content producers that deliver news, sports and other content each day via satellite.

"In seeking a balanced approach, the Commission must further endeavor to avoid disruptions in the services American consumers currently enjoy. The Commission must also carefully consider the potential for interference from new terrestrial users to incumbent operations and, if it finds the benefits outweigh the harms, tailor its technical rules appropriately to avoid such interference," the letter stated.

The letter continued, "These considerations are especially critical for the Commission as it considers permitting new commercial wireless services and shared use in the 3.7-4.2 GHz spectrum band, as proposed in the Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted on July 12, 2018. This spectrum band, also known as the "C-band," is licensed to satellite companies and is heavily relied upon by a vast number of stakeholders in rural and non-rural areas alike, including those that deliver content for television and cable programming."

ACA, NAB, NCTA and NPR said in a statement, "NAB, NCTA, ACA and NPR thank Reps. Tony Cerdenas (D-CA) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) for their support in protecting incumbent C-band users from interference, higher prices or service loss as the FCC considers new uses for the spectrum band. Tens of millions of Americans rely on the C-band to receive news, entertainment, weather and sports content every day. It's critically important for the FCC to ensure that any changes to C-band spectrum usage must preserve interference-free access to this popular radio and TV content."