Statement from WifiForward in Reaction to FCC Proposal on Spectrum Sharing in the 3.5 GHz Band

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today proposed technical rules permitting spectrum sharing in the 3.5 GHz band. WifiForward released the following statement:

“Today, the FCC proposed rules to explore an additional path to wireless innovation: opening up the underutilized 3.5 GHz frequency band for sharing between government and other wireless users. The Commission’s move to turn this spectrum into an innovation band that allows both reserved and unreserved use would improve wireless broadband access, promote rural broadband deployment, lower barriers to entry for innovators, and fulfill a key part of the President’s spectrum agenda. We applaud Chairman Wheeler and leadership throughout the agency for their work on the technical and policy issues involved and we urge quick action to make real spectrum sharing a reality. This is a first step, but there is more work to be done. We need to reorient the nation’s spectrum policy toward more flexible and efficient approaches to harness the full potential of our spectrum resources—and we look forward to further action from the Commission to ensure sufficient nationwide spectrum for robust, unlicensed access to spectrum.”