Media Contact: 
Joel Miller, (202) 418-2300
Joel.Miller@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL O’RIELLY 
ON 6 GHz BAND

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2020 – Commissioner O’Rielly released the following statement today:

“I am grateful that Chairman Pai has circulated an item to allow sharing between unlicensed services and incumbent providers in the 6 GHz band.  Having worked for most of my professional career on unlicensed service issues and having taken on the lead advocate role for 6 GHz, I am extremely pleased that we have finally reached this point.  It’s been a long and winding road. 

“Today’s item effectively concludes some of the substantive debates and will end some extraneous noise surrounding our approach.  While I look forward to reading the specifics, it appears very consistent with my emphatic support for protecting incumbent users while permitting varied unlicensed services within the band.  Specifically, higher-powered unlicensed services will be allowed in the band using a slimmed-down automated frequency coordination (AFC) regime, while low power indoor (LPI) use, which probably could use a closer review and improvements to its technical rules over the next couple weeks, will be allowed throughout the band without an AFC.  Although it initially settles on certain lower power limits for LPI use, the further notice will explore increasing these limits, as well as setting workable power limits and more specifics to effectuate very lower powered (VLP) unlicensed devices.   

“Over the last few years, I have heard from entrepreneurs and innovators discussing how dramatic the impact would be of unleashing such a large unlicensed allocation with seven 160 megahertz channels.  I can’t wait to see, and use, the new services and ideas brought forward because of our work here.  Conclusion of the further notice, which must be done this year, should provide further improvements and functionality. 

“Today’s action to permit all 1200 megahertz of the band to be used for unlicensed services means that proposals to license portions of the band were not accepted.  I fully support this outcome, but I also remain fully committed to identifying other mid-bands for licensed services.  Simply put, U.S. wireless providers must have more mid-band spectrum to meet consumer demand, and I will fight to refill the spectrum pipeline for future licensed wireless services.  This effort is absolutely vital to preserving U.S. leadership in wireless technology and to alleviate the demands being placed on existing networks.  I firmly believe that the most likely candidate bands for this purpose are Federal spectrum allocations, such as the 3.1 to 3.55 GHz band, that can be converted to commercial use.  

“I look forward to discussing this draft with interested parties in the coming weeks, and I will go out on a limb to predict a unanimous vote from my colleagues.”


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Office of Commissioner Mike O’Rielly: (202) 418-2300
Twitter: @mikeofcc
www.fcc.gov/leadership/michael-orielly

This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action.  Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.  See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).