Thread by @EvanS_FCC

LIVE Now: @AjitPaiFCC delivers his final speech on spectrum policy @ITI_TechTweets.

Tune in👇

https://twitter.com/ITI_TechTweets/status/1349774481775067139

"Spectrum is critical to closing the digital divide. Spectrum is critical to American leadership in 5G. Spectrum is critical to many applications, from telehealth to remote learning." - @AjitPaiFCC

The #5GFast plan "had three planks: freeing up spectrum, promoting wireless infrastructure, and modernizing our regulations to encourage more fiber deployment, which is critical for backhauling wireless traffic into the core of the networks." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Recognizing that spectrum is the most critical input for wireless innovation, I decided early on that the Commission had to take decisive action to make more airwaves available for 5G, the next-generation of wireless technology." - @AjitPaiFCC

"To achieve our objectives on spectrum, we knew it would take an all-of-the above approach. That’s why we’ve been working to free up high-, mid-, and low-band spectrum for 5G." - @AjitPaiFCC

"In 2019, the FCC successfully concluded auctions in the 28 GHz and 24 GHz bands, respectively—our nation’s first two auctions of millimeter-wave spectrum for 5G services." - @AjitPaiFCC

"In early 2020, we concluded bidding on the upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz spectrum bands. This was the largest auction in American history in terms of the amount of spectrum offered, releasing 3,400 megahertz of spectrum into the commercial marketplace[.]" - @AjitPaiFCC

"All told, we’ve made available almost five gigahertz of high-band spectrum for commercial use though these three auctions. To put that in perspective, that was more spectrum than was used for cellular broadband by all wireless carriers in the United States combined."-@AjitPaiFCC

"Now, all of the valuable low-band airwaves sold in the ground-breaking broadcast incentive auction are available for wireless broadband service, and this spectrum is already being used to provide 5G service to areas where over 250 million Americans live." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Despite starting from behind the eight ball, we turned things around, and in a big way. Under my direction, the FCC systematically identified mid-band airwaves that were being underused." - @AjitPaiFCC

"In July 2019, the Commission adopted flexible new rules for the 2.5 GHz band. This is our nation’s single largest band of contiguous spectrum below 3 GHz, and it’s well-suited for 5G deployment." - @AjitPaiFCC

"We approved a Rural Tribal Priority Window so that Tribal Nations would have early access to unassigned 2.5 GHz spectrum over rural Tribal lands. This window closed last September, and we received over 400 applications." - @AjitPaiFCC

"We intend to auction any remaining spectrum shortly after we finish processing the applications filed during the window. ... To keep our nation’s mid-band spectrum efforts on track, it will be critical for the FCC to conduct the 2.5 GHz auction in 2021." - @AjitPaiFCC

In August, "FCC successfully completed an auction of 70 megahertz of licensed spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band—the first-ever U.S. auction of mid-band spectrum for 5G. The auction garnered unprecedented interest, with 228 entities winning a total of 20,625 licenses[.]" - @AjitPaiFCC

"And we’ve completed the necessary technical work so that the band’s entire 150 megahertz is now available for commercial use. It’s already being used for innovative use cases, including private LTE networks." - @AjitPaiFCC

"The Commission is working hard to lay the groundwork for auctioning the 3.45 GHz band later this year, as Congress directed in the omnibus spending legislation passed last month." - @AjitPaiFCC

"But this Commission’s biggest move to free up mid-band spectrum for 5G has been in the C-band, or the swath of spectrum from 3.7 GHz to 4.2 GHz. ... FCC voted to clear the lower 300 megahertz of the C-band and make 280 megahertz of it available for 5G through a public auction."

"All eligible space station operators ... committed to an accelerated relocation ... meaning that the lower 280 megahertz will become available for 5G two to four years earlier than otherwise would have been the case. And the courts rejected legal challenges to our decisions."

"Before the C-band auction began, the most lucrative auction in FCC history netted about $45 billion in gross bidding. Bidding in the C-band auction has already eclipsed $80 billion." - @AjitPaiFCC

"The bidding ... represents a strong endorsement by the private sector of the rules that the FCC has put in place to transition this spectrum to 5G. Industry clearly has confidence that this spectrum will become available quickly and will be critical to 5G deployment."

"Put all these together—the C-band and the 3.5 GHz band, together with a future auction of the 3.45 GHz band—and we are on a path to have a contiguous 530-megahertz swath, from 3.45 to 3.98 GHz, of mid-band spectrum available for 5G. Not bad, considering where we started."

"The main headline is that, by any measure, this has been the most aggressive FCC in history in putting the public airwaves to work for the public. ... The credit for this accomplishment goes to our amazing staff across the agency." - @AjitPaiFCC

"While our 5G FAST plan may have been the key driver ... to free up licensed spectrum, it’s not the entirety of our work. We’ve studied the entire spectrum chart closely, and where we’ve seen airwaves that clearly aren’t being put to their highest-value use, we’ve acted."

"We reconfigured the 900 MHz band for the deployment of broadband services and technologies. ... Our new rules made available six of the band’s ten megahertz for the deployment of broadband services by utilities and other industries." - @AjitPaiFCC

"This will enable private LTE networks to deliver critical infrastructure services that can improve electric grid monitoring, cybersecurity, and detection of public safety threats, and can otherwise help power customers avoid entering a world of pain." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Also, way up in the 76 to 81 GHz band, we tripled the amount of spectrum available for vehicular radars, which are used for safety applications like collision avoidance and adaptive cruise control, among other things." - @AjitPaiFCC

"But we also have embraced a ... different model at the same time: allowing entrepreneurs and innovators to use spectrum without the FCC prescribing the what, when, and how. Indeed, our work to make airwaves available for unlicensed use has also put us in the history books."

"Wi-Fi 6 will be over two-and-a-half times faster than the current standard, and it will offer better performance for connected devices. But in order to fully take advantage of the benefits of Wi-Fi 6, we need to make more mid-band spectrum available for unlicensed use."

"And that’s exactly what the FCC did. Last April, the Commission unanimously approved my proposal to make the entire 6 GHz band available for unlicensed use." - @AjitPaiFCC

"By opening the whole 6 GHz band for unlicensed, we are creating a massive 1,200 megahertz testbed for innovators and innovation. To put this in context, we effectively increased the amount of mid-band spectrum available for Wi-Fi by almost a factor of five." - @AjitPaiFCC

"This past November, the Commission unanimously voted to make the lower 45 megahertz of the 5.9 GHz band available for unlicensed uses like Wi-Fi. Our new rules also transition the upper 30 megahertz ... to Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything, or C-V2X." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Through our 2019 Spectrum Horizons Order, the Commission made a massive 21.2 gigahertz of spectrum above 95 GHz available for unlicensed use across four frequency bands. ... I can’t wait to see what innovation lies over these horizons." - @AjitPaiFCC

"We modified our antenna height rules and power limits to allow for improved broadband coverage in rural areas using white spaces, which expanded their ability to deliver wireless services in many rural and underserved areas while still protecting ... broadcast television."

"One of the most valuable lessons I learned ... on spectrum is to listen to the experts at the agency and use solid engineering analysis ... When it comes to freeing up airwaves, there is virtually no more greenfield spectrum available. That means there are no easy solutions."

"Whenever you explore new uses for spectrum, you’re going to draw battles with incumbents or others worried about harmful interference. To help make the right call, you must rely on sound engineering. The only alternative, essentially, is arbitrary politics." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Another lesson I learned is that arguably the biggest thing hampering efforts to use spectrum more efficiently is—our own government. On proceeding after proceeding, we saw that other federal agencies tried to throw up roadblocks." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Rather than look out for the public interest, many agencies were looking out for their narrow parochial interest." - @AjitPaiFCC

"And since most don’t have in-house spectrum expertise, they ended up simply parroting the exaggerated, hysterical, and often outright false claims being made by the industries they regulate." - @AjitPaiFCC

"To achieve their aims, they ended up bypassing normal channels and complaining to Congress or the media in an effort to block or delay efforts to free up spectrum for commercial use." - @AjitPaiFCC

In the near-term, the FCC must hold its ground. ... Interested parties will likely use the change in Administrations as an opportunity to re-litigate settled disputes like the 5.9 GHz and 6 GHz rules, the L-band, and perhaps even the C-band." - @AjitPaiFCC

"If we are to preserve the value this FCC delivered to American consumers, the agency’s new leadership will have to be willing to withstand the pressure from the voices who are always going to say, 'No.'" - @AjitPaiFCC

"But my successor is going to have to be willing to do the same thing, to have the courage to stand up to congressional committee chairs of his or her political party. Otherwise, our nation’s spectrum efforts will suffer significantly." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Also in the near-term, the next Administration needs to install strong leadership at NTIA and empower NTIA to be the Executive Branch’s one voice on spectrum policy. We must bring an end to the practice of each agency having its own spectrum policy." - @AjitPaiFCC

"But longer term, we need to have a conversation about whether our current bifurcated framework for spectrum management makes sense. Currently, our division of responsibility for managing spectrum has NTIA governing federal spectrum and the FCC governing non-federal commercial[.]

"Should we think about having unified regulatory authority over spectrum entrusted to the FCC to minimize the need for coordination?" - @AjitPaiFCC

"If the FCC ultimately holds the pen on all spectrum matters, perhaps agencies will stop throwing up roadblocks by default and will recognize that the best way to preserve their interests is to persuade the Commission with sound engineering and facts." - @AjitPaiFCC

"We’re one of the only countries in the world with a bifurcated spectrum management system. The progress we’ve made since 2017 is despite this dual-track system, not because of it; indeed, the process has become an unruly mess. It may well be time to take a different approach."

"I know that offering advice on your way out the door is not necessarily a parting gift that everybody will be interested in. But there is one thing I’m leaving behind that I think everybody will appreciate, and that’s more spectrum in the pipeline." - @AjitPaiFCC

"We’ve been working with NTIA to prepare to auction 50 megahertz in the 1300 MHz band for commercial, flexible use in the next few years. We’ve also started looking at the 4.8 GHz band, which is getting interest in East Asia for 5G and is currently held by federal incumbents."

"Then there’s the 3.1 to 3.45 GHz band, where we’ve started the process of clearing out non-federal users so that it can be made available for 5G." - @AjitPaiFCC

"And just yesterday, the Commission launched a proceeding seeking comment on how to maximize efficient use of the 500 megahertz of mid-band spectrum in the 12 GHz band." - @AjitPaiFCC

"There’s also high-band spectrum that we have teed up, such as 42 GHz. And of course, the FCC is on track to auction two bands, the 3.45 and 2.5 GHz bands, this year." - @AjitPaiFCC

"We also added a new experimental license type that permits experimental use on any frequency from 95 GHz to 3 THz, with no limits on geography or technology." - @AjitPaiFCC

"Professor Rappaport testified to the Commission before we adopted the Spectrum Horizons Order, and he said that 'with . . . this historic vote, the FCC has launched the race to 6G, helping to ensure the U.S. will play a leading role in future generations of wireless.'”

"We currently don’t know precisely what types of applications and wireless services the laws of physics will permit in these bands. And that’s sort of the point. The history of wireless innovation is one of government creating space for broad thinking and entrepreneurs[.]"