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Sep. 13, 2008

As of today, there’s still no word yet from the FCC about the results of recent testing to determine if some of the proposed AWS-3 wireless services could interfere with the spectrum used for AWS-1 services today.

But yesterday, AWS-1 supporters T-Mobile, MetroPCS, AT&T, Nokia Networks and the CTIA disclosed their belief that the results of the tests prove that interference is a legitimate problem and that it needs to be addresed rapidly.

M2Z Networks, a startup hoping to use AWS-3 for a national mobile WiMAX service, asserts that T-Mobile, AT&T and other wireless operators are falsely claiming interference just to keep M2Z out of the market.

Overall, there would be some receiver overload interference and the interference scenarios “would not be rare – under normal operating conditions interference to AWS-1 devices from AWS-3 operations should the Commission adopt its proposed technical rules would be widespread and prevalent,” AT&T and T-Mobile said.

“Under the conditions that were tested, out-of-band emission interference from AWS-3 interfering sources appears to be the most dominant interference mechanism."

"Some interference would be present from an AWS-3 interfering source should the FCC adopt its proposed out-of-band emission limit,” the challengers wrote in a letter to the FCC, which oversaw the tests.

Seperate from M2Z’s plan and the incumbents’ objections, the Commission may announce a new plan for 700 MHz of spectrum on September 29, the results of which could affect M2Z’s plan.

If the 700 MHz spectrum does sell, unlike in the FCC’s previous attempt, that could influence whether M2Z’s argument which also involves a public safety aspects finds sympathetic government ears.

There will be more updates on this news story in a few days.

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    This article was featured on Business 5.0 and on Tech Blog.

Source: AT&T.