Appropriate Measures Must Be Taken to Effectively Prevent, Identify and Eliminate Interference to Public Safety’s Systems

Public safety agencies extensively use the 6 GHz band for mission critical systems that support operational needs such as dispatching first responders and maintaining land mobile radio communications during incidents. In recent years, the Federal Communications Commission conducted a rulemaking proceeding to allow large numbers of unlicensed devices such as Wi-Fi routers to share the spectrum in this band. APCO has advocated that such sharing should only occur if appropriate measures are in place to effectively prevent, identify and eliminate interference to public safety’s systems.

News

Announcement

APCO and Others Urge FCC to Pause 6 GHz Unlicensed Device Approval Until Testing Evaluates the Risk of Interference

On March 1 and 2, APCO and other stakeholders met with representatives of the offices of Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel and Commissioners Carr and Starks to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to pause approval of new unlicensed devices in the 6 GHz band until real-world testing is conducted to evaluate the risk of interference to public safety and critical infrastructure communications.

March 1, 2021

Announcement

APCO Joins With Other Organizations to Urge the FCC Not to Expand Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band

On February 22, APCO filed joint comments with other public safety and critical infrastructure stakeholders to respond to the FCC’s Public Notice seeking comment on further expanding unlicensed use of the 6 GHz band. As background, last year the FCC adopted rules to permit hundreds of millions of new unlicensed devices to operate in the 6 GHz band, which is heavily used by public safety agencies across the country. The joint comments reiterated that the new rules present a significant risk of harmful interference and advised the FCC against further expanding unlicensed use.

February 22, 2021

Governmental Proceedings

2022
December 7, 2022 Ex Parte: 6 GHz (Chair and Commissioners) (ET 18-295, 21-352, GN 17-183)
November 22, 2022 Ex Parte: 6 GHz Miami-Dade Interference (ET 21-352, ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
September 1, 2022 Technical Bulletin for Operators of 6 GHz Microwave Systems
September 1, 2022 Ex Parte: 6 GHz Multi-Stakeholder Group Report (ET 18-295, GN 17-183, ET 21-352)
June 21, 2022 NWCC Ex Parte: Regarding 6 GHz Request for Stay and Petition for Rulemaking (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
May 31, 2022 Ex Parte: AFC System Operator Applications (ET 21-352)
May 6, 2022 Ex Parte: Experimental STA Applications in the 6 GHz Band (OET) (PS 18-295)
2021
December 28, 2021 D.C. Circuit Court Order on Petition for Review of the 6 GHz Order
December 21, 2021 Comments: AFC System Operator Applications (ET 21-352)
December 20, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Ex Parte Regarding 6 GHz Request for Stay and Petition for Rulemaking (Starks) (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
December 17, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Ex Parte Regarding 6 GHz Request for Stay and Petition for Rulemaking (Carr) (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
December 17, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Ex Parte Regarding 6 GHz Request for Stay and Petition for Rulemaking (Simington) (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
December 15, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Ex Parte Regarding 6 GHz Request for Stay and Petition for Rulemaking (Rosenworcel) ((ET 18-295, GN 17-183))
December 8, 2021 APCO, UTC, IAFC, NPSTC etc.: Request for Stay: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
December 8, 2021 APCO, UTC, IAFC, NPSTC etc.: Petition for Rulemaking: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
September 10, 2021 D.C. Circuit Court Grants APCO Motion to Divide Argument
September 7, 2021 APCO Reply in Support of Motion to Divide Argument
September 3, 2021 APCO Motion to Divide Argument
April 2, 2021 Joint Reply Brief by Petitioners
March 23, 2021 APCO, IAFC, NPSTC, UTC, etc.: Reply Comments Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (Client-to-Client Communications) (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
March 4, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Ex Parte Regarding 6 GHz Interference Testing (Rosenworcel) (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
March 4, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Ex Parte Regarding 6 GHz Interference Testing (Carr) (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
March 4, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Ex Parte Regarding 6 GHz Interference Testing (Starks) (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
March 2, 2021 Initial Brief by Intervenors (Apple, Broadcom Inc., et al.)
February 23, 2021 Brief by Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. in Support of Respondents
February 23, 2021 Brief by Public Knowledge et al. in Support of Respondents
February 22, 2021 Brief by Respondents Regarding 6 GHz Order (Revised)
February 22, 2021 APCO, UTC, EEI, etc.: Joint Comments Regarding Client-to-Client Device Communications in the 6 GHz Band ((ET 18-295, GN 17-183))
February 16, 2021 Ex Parte: Meeting with PSHSB on Open Public Safety Proceedings (2021) (ET 04-35, 18-295; GN 17-183; PS 07-114, 11-60, 13-75, 15-80, 15-91, 15-94; WP 07-100)
February 16, 2021 Brief by Respondents Regarding 6 GHz Order
January 26, 2021 APCO, IAFC, NPSTC, UTC, etc.: Open Letter on 6 GHz Interference Testing
2020
December 23, 2020 Initial Brief by Joint Petitioners regarding 6 GHz Order (Revised)
December 18, 2020 Initial Brief by Joint Petitioners regarding 6 GHz Order
October 1, 2020 D.C. Circuit Court Denies Emergency Motion for Stay of the 6 GHz Order
September 18, 2020 APCO Reply in Support of Emergency Motion for Stay
September 4, 2020 Emergency Motion for Stay of the 6 GHz Order
August 13, 2020 FCC Order Denying Petitions for Stay ((ET 18-295, GN 17-183))
August 10, 2020 Reply to Oppositions to the Petitions for Reconsideration: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183, WP 07-100)
July 24, 2020 Withdrawal of Petition for Reconsideration: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
July 24, 2020 Petition for Review at D.C. Circuit regarding FCC 6 GHz Order
July 17, 2020 Ex Parte: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183, WP 07-100)
June 29, 2020 Comments: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
May 28, 2020 Petition for Stay: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
May 28, 2020 Petition for Reconsideration: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
April 23, 2020 FCC Order to Expand Unlicensed Use of 6 GHz ((ET 18-295, GN 17-183))
April 10, 2020 Ex Parte: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
2019
July 26, 2019 Ex Parte: Meetings with the FCC on 9-1-1 Location Accuracy, Improving Wireless Network Resiliency and Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (PS 07-114, 18-261, 17-239, 11-60, ET 18-295, GN 17-183, 11-117)
February 15, 2019 Comments: Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band (ET 18-295, GN 17-183)
2018
October 23, 2018 FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Expand Unlicensed Use of 6 GHz ((ET 18-295, GN 17-183))
March 29, 2018 Ex Parte: Expanding Flexible Use in Mid-Band Spectrum Between 3.7 and 24 GHz (GN 17-183)
2017
October 2, 2017 Comments: Expanding Flexible Use in Mid-Band Spectrum Between 3.7 and 24 GHz (GN 17-183)