Dish relents, says it will accept 5 MHz guard band

[bigsnake49]

Dish Network would be willing to accept changes to its spectrum holdings that would effectively make 5 MHz of its radio waves a guardband to protect spectrum that Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) has indicated it wants to bid on next year to use for LTE. However, Dish said that such a change would be acceptable as long as it was allowed to move ahead with the terrestrial deployment of the rest of its satellite spectrum as soon as possible.

The disclosure was made in a recent FCC filing by Dish that detailed meetings Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen had last week with FCC commissioners on the issue. Dish's new position represents a softening of Dish's stance from earlier in November, when it lambasted a proposal circulated by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

Genachowski's draft proposal would define rules for Dish's spectrum band, known as AWS-4. The proposal would set power limits on the lower portion of Dish's spectrum to prevent interference with the adjacent 1900 MHz PCS H Block. Separately, the FCC also said it will propose auctioning the H Block in 2013, and Sprint has said it would like to bid on the H Block and use it for LTE.

Read more: Dish relents, says it will accept 5 MHz guard band - FierceWireless http://www.fiercewir...4#ixzz2E6hEmjZH

 

I think that the FCC will put the band out for auction in 2013 as planned and Sprint should have a 10x10 LTE network real soon after that. Add in the USCC spectrum purchase and whatever leftovers from the MetroPCS-TMobile merger and Sprint will be sitting pretty.

Edited December 4, 2012 by bigsnake49

[jefbal99]

I would be surprised if Sprint went 10x10 in the next few years as most of the current LTE devices only support 5x5. I would rather expect to see a 2nd 5x5 carrier added in the H Block, along with additional 5x5 carriers in the PCS A-F spectrum as needed. When Sprint adds Clear hotspots with LTE-A next year, then you'll see some big pipes (20x20)

[ericdabbs]

At this point, since most of the LTE devices only support 5x5 LTE configuration, I would expect that Sprint would just use the H block (assuming they win most of it) to add a 2nd 5x5 LTE carrier. Since LTE-A is not out yet, Sprint couldn't do carrier aggregation yet anyways to make it a 10x10. The only way Sprint can do a 10x10 with the G+H block is through LTE-A.

[irev210]

Sort of interesting they didn't want to go for a shift up by 5MHz as proposed by Sprint.

 

Why? Did they not want to waste the time getting a new band created?

 

I feel like I am missing something...

[bigsnake49]

Sort of interesting they didn't want to go for a shift up by 5MHz as proposed by Sprint.

 

Why? Did they not want to waste the time getting a new band created?

 

I feel like I am missing something...

 

Yes, they just want to get going with devices for the new network. I wonder who they're going to choose to partner with. T-Mobile?

[SpenceSouth]

Would our phones be able to use the H block spectrum?

[supert0nes]

Would our phones be able to use the H block spectrum?

No current phones can use the H block spectrum. A new 3gpp band would need to be created and then devices after that could support it. We are a couple years away from phones that will work on 'H'.

[TH4RO]

Sort of interesting they didn't want to go for a shift up by 5MHz as proposed by Sprint.

 

Why? Did they not want to waste the time getting a new band created?

 

I feel like I am missing something...

 

Dish and Sprint will team up in some capacity. Sprint has done the research for a terrestrial service (remember lightsquared deal that fell through) and they are looking to free themselves of backhaul providers that are sticking it to them or aligned with other providers. This one has been obvious in my opinion for quite sometime. Dish needs Sprint's infrastructure and Sprint needs their spectrum. And if Sprint can squeak a "first" out of it then that would be a bonus!

[4GHoward]

Now what if Globalstar teams up with Clearwire for WiFi or LTE Offload for additional mobile broadband capacity?

 

 

Source:

http://www.globalsta...ex.php?cid=6000

http://www.globalsta...010&pressId=751

http://www.fiercewir...orks/2012-11-14

http://www.fiercebro...i-fi/2012-12-05

http://www.jarvinian...tar_111412.html

http://www.fiercewir...um-abundant-new

[ericdabbs]

If Dish moves its uplink spectrum assets from 2000-2020 MHz to 2005-2025 MHz, wouldn't Dish have to worry about interfering in the BAS band (2025 MHz to 2110 MHz)?

[WiWavelength]

If Dish moves its uplink spectrum assets from 2000-2020 MHz to 2005-2025 MHz, wouldn't Dish have to worry about interfering in the BAS band (2025 MHz to 2110 MHz)?

 

Yes, there is no such thing as a free lunch. But BAS receivers tend to be located hundreds of feet high on guyed towers, so that provides them with quite a bit of distance separation from potential Dish mobile transmitters.

 

AJ