Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1066130
January/February 2019 I 31 FCC 5G FAST PLAN The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the division of the U.S. federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, satellite, wire and cable. It manages licensed spectrum, which wireless carriers and service providers pay for the right to use, as well as unlicensed spectrum for technologies like Wi-Fi that do not require any approval or coordination with service providers. Currently, the FCC is poised to embark on some significant developments that will free up spectrum, promote wireless infrastructure, and modernize regulations. One critical component of the plan is to update the FCC's infrastructure policy to accelerate investment in 5G networks, specifically at the federal, state and local levels. In many cases, approval for network densification by carriers involves small cells in metro environments, and all too often the approval process is lengthy, bureaucratic and inefficient. New rules intend to speed this up dramatically. FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, embraces this plan in his Keeping Up A Fast Pace On Spectrum 1 statement: "In the coming months, we'll be auctioning off high-band, millimeter-wave spectrum (that's the 28 GHz and 24 GHz auctions)... But we also want to free up mid-band spectrum for 5G and other flexible uses…For example, by allowing providers to renew 3.5 GHz licenses, we will substantially increase their incentives to deploy 5G networks using this spectrum." This mid-band spectrum, also referred to as Sub 6 GHz, allows a variety of innovative technologies that will most likely appear before long-term developments, such as the use of the V-Band (including 28 and 24 GHz). They will be a boon to many enterprise customers who have been challenged with finding cost-effective ways to provide reliable wireless coverage in their indoor environments, especially those with small or medium-sized offices. Remember, people still spend more than 85% of their time indoors. 2 These technologies include LTE-U, MulteFire and CBRS. 80% VOICE CALLS 90% DATA USAGE IS INDOORS 90% USAGE INDOORS 90% USAGE INDOORS FIGURE 2: Only 20% of voice calls and 10% of data usage is conducted outdoors. 90% USAGE INDOORS 90% USAGE INDOORS A critical component of the FCC 5G FAST PLAN is to update the FCC's infrastructure policy to accelerate investment in 5G networks, specifically at the federal, state and local levels. 1