FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 20, 2019 The Honorable David B. McKinley U.S. House of Representatives 2239 Raybum House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Congressman McKinley: Thank you for your letter regarding the Federal Communications Commission s TV White Spaces proceeding and the importance of extend broadband connectivity to rural areas. I share your desire to use all available technologies to make more spectrum available to help close the digital divide. Earlier this year, the Commission adopted several revisions to its white spaces rules. These revisions improved the white spaces database that unlicensed users rely on when accessing unused spectrum in the TV bands and modified technical rules to permit use of higher antennas in rural areas to enable greater coverage when providing broadband services. On May 3, 2019, Microsoft filed a petition for rulemaking requesting that the Commission further modify the rules for white space devices. Specifically, it requested that the Commission provide additional technical modifications to its rules to permit: (1) higher antenna power limits and heights for certain unlicensed devices; (2) more intensive use of unused spectrum where doing so would not cause harmful interference to licensed users; (3) further adjustments to the rules to support the use of white space channels for narrowband Internet of Things applications; and (4) unlicensed white space device operations on movable platforms (such as tractors used for precision agriculture or school buses for connected services). The Commission released a public notice on May 9, 2019, seeking comment on the Microsoft petition. Comments were due on June 10, 2019, and reply comments were due on June 25, 2019. Sixteen parties filed comments and three parties filed reply comments. The comments were generally supportive, although some parties, such as wireless microphone manufacturers and broadcasters, expressed certain concerns. At this stage, our staff is reviewing the record compiled in this proceeding carefully. We will move forward once we have appropriately considered and addressed the issues raised by stakeholders. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely,v ? Pai FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASH INGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN August 20, 2019 The Honorable Alex X. Mooney U.S. House of Representatives 1232Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Mooney: Thank you for your letter regarding the federal Communications Commission s TV White Spaces proceeding and the importance of extend broadband connectivity to rural areas. I share your desire to use all available technologies to make more spectrum available to help close the digital divide. Earlier this year, the Commission adopted several revisions to its white spaces rules. These revisions improved the white spaces database that unlicensed users rely on when accessing unused spectrum in the TV bands and modified technical rules to permit use of higher antennas in rural areas to enable greater coverage when providing broadband services. On May 3, 2019, Microsoft filed a petition for rulemaking requesting that the Commission further modif the rules for white space devices. Specifically, it requested that the Commission provide additional technical modifications to its rules to permit: (1) higher antenna power limits and heights for certain unlicensed devices; (2) more intensive use of unused spectrum where doing so would not cause harmful interference to licensed users; (3) further adjustments to the rules to support the use of white space channels for narrowband Internet of Things applications; and (4) unlicensed white space device operations on movable platforms (such as tractors used for precision agriculture or school buses for connected services). The Commission released a public notice on May 9, 2019, seeking comment on the Microsoft petition. Comments were due on June 10, 2019, and reply comments were due on June 25, 2019. Sixteen parties filed comments and three parties filed reply comments. The comments were generally supportive, although some parties, such as wireless microphone manufacturers and broadcasters, expressed certain concerns. At this stage, our staff is reviewing the record compiled in this proceeding carefully. We will move forward once we have appropriately considered and addressed the issues raised by stakeholders. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Pai