PCS H Block Spectrum discussion (was "Draft Rules for H Block Auction Set by FCC"

[Conan Kudo]

I don't know.  Blame the FCC for the names they give it?   AWS spectrum is usually allocated to 1700/2100 but yet the new convention seems to call all the new spectrum AWS for Advanced Wireless Services.  I am just guessing it is called AWS since that is the purpose of the spectrum.  Maybe they are calling it AWS since LTE/HSPA+ is considered an advanced wireless service.

It's called AWS because it falls under the Advanced Wireless Services rules (Part 27). The FCC will not release new spectrum under Part 24 rules.

[jefbal99]

The real question is, if Sprint get this spectrum, will it be easy to adapt existing PCS A-G antennas and RRUs to use this spectrum, or will they have to go mount separate equipment on the rack just to use it? I don't suppose existing phones could be software updated to use it too?

 

Any active electronics will have to be replaced or supplemented. Passive electronics may be reusable. In other words, new RRUs and new devices. Maybe new panels.

 

 

AJ

Any existing device could be recertified for additional spectrum. Sprint with do it for phones, but it wouldn't shock me if they tried for antennas or RRUs.

 

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[bigsnake49]

Any existing device could be recertified for additional spectrum. Sprint with do it for phones, but it wouldn't shock me if they tried for antennas or RRUs.

 

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No, new devices will have to be brought out. Filters will have to be redesigned. We're almost at the point of software controlled filters but not just yet.

[maximus1987/lou99]

No, millions of current Sprint LTE devices that do not support the H block would prevent that for many years to come.

 

AJ

 

Are you saying that it's because of power issues or because there won't be enough devices able to support that for Sprint to bother?

[ericdabbs]

 

 

No, millions of current Sprint LTE devices that do not support the H block would prevent that for many years to come.

 

AJ

 

 

Are you saying that it's because of power issues or because there won't be enough devices able to support that for Sprint to bother?

Its not because of power issues with the current devices. Its because none of the LTE devices currently dont support the H block spectrum.

 

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[maximus1987/lou99]

 

 

 

 

No, millions of current Sprint LTE devices that do not support the H block would prevent that for many years to come.

 

 

 

AJ

 

 

 

 

Are you saying that it's because of power issues or because there won't be enough devices able to support that for Sprint to bother?

 

Its not because of power issues with the current devices. Its because none of the LTE devices currently dont support the H block spectrum.

 

 

 

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So why should that preclude Sprint from offering future devices that are capable and correspondingly upgrading their network?

[WiWavelength]

So why should that preclude Sprint from offering future devices that are capable and correspondingly upgrading their network?

Non PCS/AWS-2 H block mobiles are going to continue to be offered for years. Refarming the PCS G block to combine it with the H block would potentially wipe out LTE for many of those non H block mobiles. Sprint would not do that for several years after the H block auction.

 

AJ

[maximus1987/lou99]

Non PCS/AWS-2 H block mobiles are going to continue to be offered for years. Refarming the PCS G block to combine it with the H block would potentially wipe out LTE for many of those non H block mobiles. Sprint would not do that for several years after the H block auction.

 

AJ

 

So you can't have 5 MHz FDD LTE device connected to the same 10 MHz FDD of spectrum that is being used to run 10 MHz FDD connection?

[WiWavelength]

So you can't have 5 MHz FDD LTE device connected to the same 10 MHz FDD of spectrum that is being used to run 10 MHz FDD connection?

 

No.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

We now have a number.  Welcome to FCC Auction 96...

 

http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auction_summary&id=96

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0715/DA-13-1540A1.pdf

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0715/DA-13-1540A2.pdf

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

Oh, and the FCC has set the reserve price for the entire lot of PCS/AWS-2 H block licenses at a total of $219 million.

 

AJ

[ericdabbs]

We now have a number.  Welcome to FCC Auction 96...

 

http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/default.htm?job=auction_summary&id=96

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0715/DA-13-1540A1.pdf

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0715/DA-13-1540A2.pdf

 

AJ

 

I guess the earliest this Auction 96 will occur is January 14, 2014.  This is a good thing since Sprint still has a lot of progress that needs to be made on Network Vision. 

[Nickel]

Oh, and the FCC has set the reserve price for the entire lot of PCS/AWS-2 H block licenses at a total of $219 million.

 

AJ

That's pretty low, right? I'm guessing they set it that low because of it's problem with where it would go in terms of 3GPP bands.

[maximus1987/lou99]

That's pretty low, right? I'm guessing they set it that low because of it's problem with where it would go in terms of 3GPP bands.

There'd be a new band created having band 25 as a subset.

Edited July 16, 2013 by asdf190

[maximus1987/lou99]

Who else besides Sprint would want this block? I know Dish would force up the bid price just to screw Sprint but who else actually WANTS to deploy it?

[MacPCS]

Who else besides Sprint would want this block? I know Dish would force up the bid price just to screw Sprint but who else actually WANTS to deploy it?

The problem with DISH is, that they'd actually have to deploy it rather quickly for a company that has zero infrastructure to be able to do so, and not even any employees that can really even organize that type of project.  They're literally starting at ground zero.  They have some spectrum, but have zero expertise or infrastructure to deploy.  They might bid, but I wouldn't be shocked if they default on the buildout requirements if in fact they do win.  Which for the record I'd be shocked if they did.  

[maximus1987/lou99]

The problem with DISH is, that they'd actually have to deploy it rather quickly for a company that has zero infrastructure to be able to do so, and not even any employees that can really even organize that type of project. They're literally starting at ground zero. They have some spectrum, but have zero expertise or infrastructure to deploy. They might bid, but I wouldn't be shocked if they default on the buildout requirements if in fact they do win. Which for the record I'd be shocked if they did.

In other Dish thread, an article from Seeking Alpha was posted that speculated Dish never had any intention of buying Sprint or Clearwire. It simply drove up the prices so that its own AWS-4 would be valued at a higher price by ATT. Dish would then merge with DirecTV which, unlike a decade ago, would actually be approved this time.

[MacPCS]

I am not sure they'd be approved to merge with DirecTV now anyway.  

[maximus1987/lou99]

I am not sure they'd be approved to merge with DirecTV now anyway.

Why not? Maybe for rural customers but suburban, there's Comcast and uverse.

[MacPCS]

Why not? Maybe for rural customers but suburban, there's Comcast and uverse.

You're arguing that there is sufficient competition in the paid TV business?

 

For real?

[maximus1987/lou99]

You're arguing that there is sufficient competition in the paid TV business?

 

For real?

I couldn't care less about the paid TV business.

If Dish merging with DirecTV is what it takes to get it to stop screwing with wireless when it has no intention of doing anything, fine.

Edited July 17, 2013 by asdf190

[Deval]

I couldn't care less about the paid TV business.

If Dish merging with DirecTV is what it takes to get it to stop screwing with wireless when it has no intention of doing anything, fine.

 

I don't believe for a second that any Dish and DirecTV merger would change the wireless screwing game.

[xenadu]

No.

 

AJ

I thought LTE supported combining such that you could farm it as two 5x5 and devices that supported both could use it as a 10x10, subject to a small decrease in efficiency compared to a true 10x10?

[maximus1987/lou99]

I thought LTE supported combining such that you could farm it as two 5x5 and devices that supported both could use it as a 10x10, subject to a small decrease in efficiency compared to a true 10x10?

You're thinking of carrier aggregation.

[ericdabbs]

I thought LTE supported combining such that you could farm it as two 5x5 and devices that supported both could use it as a 10x10, subject to a small decrease in efficiency compared to a true 10x10?

 

2 problems with a 10x10 LTE at this point.

 

1) Sprint NV towers don't support carrier aggregation (e.g. combining two 5x5 carriers) at this point.  Only LTE-Advanced with release 10 software and above support carrier aggregation.  No word from Sprint of when they will start launching LTE Advanced.

 

2) There are still plenty of Sprint LTE smartphones (mainly Samsung LTE phones) that only support 5 MHz FDD bandwidths (5x5 carrier).  HTC, LG and Motorola LTE smartphones support 5 and 10 MHz FDD bandwidths so those phones will not have any problem connecting to a 10x10 LTE carrier. Even the GS4 this year only supports a 5 MHZ FDD bandwidth.  If a combined 10 MHz FDD LTE carrier was launched, the GS3, GN2, GS4, etc phones would not be able to connect to LTE.

 

I really hope Sprint and Samsung do the right thing starting with the Galaxy Note 3 to support 5 and 10 MHz FDD bandwidths to be on par with HTC, LG, Motorola LTE phones to allow Sprint to be able to expand to a 10x10 LTE carrier in a few years if it wants to.