Chairwoman Johnson Seeks Response to 5G Spectrum Studies
Today, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requesting any technical analysis that the FCC has conducted or reviewed on out-of-band emissions limits under consideration for the 24.25-24.75 GHz spectrum band to be discussed under Agenda Item 1.13 at the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), slated to begin October 28. Attached to the letter are two studies prepared by NOAA and NASA, “Results from NASA/NOAA Sharing Studies on WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.13” and “Additional Sharing Study Results Using the NASA GPM Sensor,” as well as a U.S. Proposal on WRC-19 Agenda Item 1.13, submitted by FCC on March 19 and slide deck from the 3rd ITU Inter-regional Workshop on WRC-19 Preparation, dated September 5, 2019.
“Ranking Member Frank Lucas and I wrote to you on March 13 requesting the delay of the 24 GHz auction out of concern for potential interference with weather data collected at the adjacent 23.8 GHz band by passive sensors on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA), and Department of Defense (DoD) satellites, referred to as the Earth Exploration-Satellite Service (EESS),” said Chairwoman Johnson in the letter. “Yet the FCC has claimed repeatedly that a -20 dBW emission limit would have no impact on weather data. It is imperative that U.S. federal agencies resolve this disagreement about out-of-band emission limits before we begin negotiations with international partners at WRC-19.”
