06/27/2022
The Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) is supporting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initiative to advance discussions regarding how receivers influence successful spectrum sharing and the introduction of new technologies. Considering the growing demand for wireless communications, the Commission is rightfully investigating all means of maximizing the use of available spectrum, including the ability of receivers to accept higher levels of RF noise without diminishing quality of service.
In its comments, EWA noted that “private wireless systems deployed by members of the Alliance are essential to the day-to-day lives of all Americans. They are integral to the delivery of electricity, water, oil and gas, and all other essential services. They are used in the construction of roads, bridges, airports, refineries, and every other imaginable facility needed to support the American economy. These licensees continually invest in technology advances and deploy more spectrally efficient equipment to accommodate their growing requirements since they have not received an infusion of new spectrum since the mid-1980s. They are fortunate in relying on vendors that recognize the vital nature of their operations that deliver robust, reliable equipment, both on the transmit and receive side. But wireless systems do not exist in a vacuum. If systems in adjacent bands include receivers that are not designed with adequate interference immunity, EWA members and the FCC become embroiled in avoidable interference complaints – a waste of valuable resources.”
The FCC’s Notice of Inquiry (NOI) is broad-ranging, and the outcome cannot be predicted, but the need to investigate the issue, in EWA’s opinion, cannot be disputed. In particular, EWA in its comments:
Endorsed the FCC’s recognition that one size will not fit all in this matter and that appropriate periods of transition will be required if legacy receivers are affected; and
Suggested that the FCC’s regulation of receivers should be instituted only if less intrusive approaches prove inadequate.