WASHINGTON, D.C. – Canada, U.S., and Mexico have reached a major spectrum-sharing arrangement that will enable wireless broadband service and emergency communications in border areas.
Industry Canada, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Mexico’s Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) have agreed to share commercial wireless broadband spectrum in the 700 MHz band along the U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican border areas. The FCC also reached an arrangement with Industry Canada for sharing spectrum in the 800 MHz band. The agreement will alleviate cellular interference helping support commercial broadband services and public safety mission-critical voice communications.
"These arrangements will unleash investment and benefit consumers near the borders by enabling the rollout of 4G wireless broadband service and advanced systems for critical public safety and emergency response communications," says FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
The technical sharing principles reached on the 700 MHz band will facilitate the deployment of mobile wireless broadband systems near the U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders and will provide consumers in these areas with advanced opportunities for 4G high-speed mobile broadband access. Under the arrangements, licensees on both sides of the borders will have greater access to the 698-758 MHz and 776-788 MHz bands.
The technical sharing principles reached on 800 MHz will pave the way for completion of 800 MHz rebanding by U.S. public safety and commercial licensees operating along the U.S.-Canadian border.
The FCC ordered rebanding to alleviate interference to public safety licensees in the band caused by commercial cellular licensees. The arrangement specifies (1) how primary channels will be allotted between the United States and Canada, (2) the technical parameters for operation on these channels within 140 kilometers (87 miles) of the common border, and (3) a schedule for transitioning facilities from the channels needed by the U.S. to complete rebanding along the U.S.-Canadian border. The relevant documents are available on the International Bureau web site at http://transition.fcc.gov/ib/sand/agree.
U.S. broadcasters are still seeking a response from the FCC over concerns about DTV border issues with Canada and Mexico. The National Association of Broadcasters claim that the Detroit market could lose all nine of its full-power TV stations, depending on how the FCC moves ahead with plans to reclaim the spectrum supporting broadcast TV channels 31 to 51 for mobile broadband use.
The NAB says treaties with Canada designed to prevent interference between U.S. and Canadian stations in border markets prevent U.S. stations from being relocated to spectrum reserved for Canadian broadcasters in the border markets. At least eight other border markets could lose at least some local stations if the FCC plan moves ahead says the NAB.
This issue will only amplify with time as wireless spectrum becomes more and more valuable for broadband purposes.
