At its public meeting on October 27, the FCC voted to adopt a Notice of Inquiry "seek[ing] information on the current use of the 12.7 GHz band, how the Commission could encourage more efficient and intensive use of the band, and whether the band is suitable for mobile broadband or other expanded use." The Commission has an obligation to ensure that spectrum dedicated to commercial use – over which the agency has oversight – is put to efficient use and that its value to the American people is maximized. And it is widely recognized that the spectrum pipeline needs to be replenished for commercial and other private uses, including by next-generation networks. The Commission's adoption of its Notice for the 12.7 GHz band furthers these important ends.
The FCC's Notice contemplates the suitability of the 12.7 GHz band for 5G and for as-yet-undeveloped 6G technologies. Hopefully, the Commission's Notice will yield useful to the agency regarding how incumbents are using their spectrum allocations in the band so that the Commission could, at some point, enable commercial wireless use of the 12.7 GHz band and address the current operations and reliance interest of incumbent users in a responsible and judicious manner.
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