By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 5-10-18
The FCC has unanimously approved a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) looking into opening up the 2.5-GHz band for wireless broadband, but not without pushback from some educational broadband services (EBS) that use the band.
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who is exiting the commission, did not participate so the vote was 4-0.
The item was billed as creating “more efficient and effective use of 2.5-GHz spectrum by increasing flexibility for existing EBS licensees and providing new opportunities for educational entities, rural Tribal Nations, and commercial entities to access unused portions of the band.”
EBS, formerly Instructional Television Fixed Service, or ITFS, was used in the 1960s for closed-circuit broadcasts to educational institutions, but was rebooted in the early 2000s and pointed toward broadband.
The new NPRM will allow stakeholders to weigh in on the proposal before the FCC holds a final vote. » Read More