Aiming to capitalize on the FCC’s proposed Part 96 rules, the Wireless Innovation Forum on February 12 announced the formation of a new committee that will focus on advancing spectrum usage by providing sharing in the 3.55 GHz band.
Dubbed the Spectrum Sharing Committee (SSC), the new committee aims to create “the foundation for an ecosystem to promote spectrum sharing through a three-tier dynamic spectrum sharing model,” the Wireless Innovation Forum explains in a press release. The SSC will be led by co-chairs Iyad Tarazi, CEO of Federated Wireless, and Preston Marshall, principal wireless architect for Google.
3.55 GHz Spectrum Sharing
Spectrum sharing across the 3.55 GHz frequency band could help open up new spectrum for mobile broadband, thereby meeting industry calls for much needed wireless bandwidth. Sharing across the 3.55 GHz band, WIF says, “is expected to revolutionize mobile networks by providing spectrum access beyond traditional service providers, enabling innovation, with scale and cost optimization.”
Four SSC working groups are to focus on the following four aspects in pursuit of achieving the new committee’s strategic goals:
- Operational and Functional Requirements (Interoperability Focus);
- Security Requirements;
- Protocol Specifications;
- Testing and Certification.
“The level of engagement we have achieved at the WInnForum, and working groups is exceeding all of our expectations, reinforcing that shared spectrum will present a seismic shift for in-building enterprise networks,” Tarazi was quoted as saying. “Shared spectrum provides the enterprise with a speedier and more cost effective alternative that is seamless and secure, at a scale that Wi-Fi and carrier networks cannot.”
Added Marshall: “The FCC is doing its part in establishing the regulatory framework and protecting incumbent users. Now it is up to industry to develop the standards, processes, and innovative concepts to fully exploit this opportunity. With representation by carriers, innovative start-ups, equipment manufacturers, and database suppliers, we now have a forum to accomplish this rapidly.”
