Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Information on Current Trends in LTE-U and LAA Technology, 26561-26563 [2015-11211]

Download as PDF asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 2015 / Notices Broadband Experiments Order. If approved, recipients of the rural broadband experiments will be required to submit a one-time report on November 1st after they begin receiving support. This report must describe the status of the recipient’s experiment as of September 30th immediately preceding the report (i.e., whether vendors have been hired, permits have been obtained, and construction has begun), and include evidence demonstrating which locations if any the recipient has built out to in its project areas and evidence demonstrating that the recipient is meeting the public service obligations for the relevant experiment category, including a certification that demonstrates the service the recipient offers complies with the Commission’s latency requirements. Rural broadband experiment recipients will also be required to certify that they have met the build-out milestones adopted in the Rural Broadband Experiments Order. These certifications will be due for all recipients by the end of the third year and fifth year of support. Recipients that have chosen to receive 30 percent of their support upfront will also be required to submit a build-out milestone certification within 15 months of their first disbursement. Recipients that are determined to not be in compliance with the terms and conditions of the rural broadband experiments during their support term will also be required to submit a certification to demonstrate that they have come into compliance. All of these certifications must be accompanied by the same types of evidence required for the November interim progress report. This report and certifications will enable the Commission to monitor the progress of the rural broadband experiments and ensure that the support is being used for its intended purposes. Finally, rural broadband experiment recipients will be subject to a 10-year record retention requirement and must make those documents and records available to the Commission, any of its Bureaus or Offices, the Universal Service Administrative Company, and their respective auditors to aid these entities in overseeing the recipients’ compliance with the terms and conditions of rural broadband experiment support. The Commission also proposes to eliminate FCC Form 5610 that is a part of this information collection. The deadline to file FCC Form 5610 with the Commission was November 7, 2014. Because the Commission does not anticipate holding another round of bidding, no additional entities will be required to file FCC Form 5610. There VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:38 May 07, 2015 Jkt 235001 are no proposed changes to the currently approved FCC Form 5620 which is also a part of this information collection. However, the Commission proposes to increase the number of respondents involved in the postselection review because more winning bidders were provisionally selected than the Commission anticipated. Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of the Managing Director. [FR Doc. 2015–11091 Filed 5–7–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712–01–P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [ET Docket No. 15–105; DA 15–516] Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Information on Current Trends in LTE–U and LAA Technology Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: In this document, the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) seek information on technologies and techniques they will implement to share spectrum with existing unlicensed operations and technologies such as Wi-Fi that are widely used by the public. Parties within the wireless industry are developing a version of commercial wireless LTE technology called LTEUnlicensed (LTE–U) that is intended for operations in certain unlicensed frequency bands. LTE–U could operate in conjunction with licensed commercial wireless services using a technique called Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) whereby a channel in an operator’s licensed spectrum is used as the primary channel for devices operating on an unlicensed basis. DATES: Comments must be filed on or before June 11, 2015 and reply comments must be filed on or before June 26, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by ET Docket No. 15–105, by any of the following methods: • Federal Communications Commission’s Web site: https:// fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • Mail: Ira Keltz, Office of Engineering and Technology, Room 7–C250, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554 and Chris SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 26561 Helzer, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Room 6–6415, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. • People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: FCC504@fcc.gov or phone: 202–418–0530 or TTY: 202– 418–0432. For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional information on the process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ira Keltz, Office of Engineering and Technology, (202) 418–0616, email Ira.Keltz@fcc.gov, and Chris Helzer, (202) 418–2791, email Chris.Helzer@ fcc.gov and TTY (202) 418–2989. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission’s document, ET Docket No. 15–105, DA 15–516, released May 5, 2015. The full text of this document is available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room CY–A257), 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. The complete text of this document also may be purchased from the Commission’s copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 12th Street SW., Room, CY– B402, Washington, DC 20554. The full text may also be downloaded at: www.fcc.gov. Pursuant to §§ 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments on or before the date indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). • Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https:// fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. • Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. • Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM 08MYN1 26562 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 2015 / Notices • All hand-delivered or messengerdelivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th St. SW., Room TW–A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. • Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. • U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202–418–0530 (voice), 202– 418–0432 (tty). Comments and reply comments will be available for public inspection during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., CY–A257, Washington, DC 20554. These documents will also be available via ECFS. asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Synopsis of Public Notice 1. Parties within the wireless industry are developing a version of commercial wireless LTE technology called LTEUnlicensed (LTE–U) that is intended for operations in certain unlicensed frequency bands. LTE–U could operate in conjunction with licensed commercial wireless services using a technique called Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) whereby a channel in an operator’s licensed spectrum is used as the primary channel for devices operating on an unlicensed basis. By this public notice, the Office of Engineering and Technology and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau seek information on these technologies and the techniques they will implement to share spectrum with existing unlicensed operations and technologies such as Wi-Fi that are widely used by the public. 2. A number of organizations have approached the Commission about the development of LTE–U and LAA in the context of the 3.5 GHz and 5 GHz proceedings, which would make spectrum available for general access VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:38 May 07, 2015 Jkt 235001 and unlicensed use, respectively.1 Some have expressed concern that LTE–U and LAA operations may have a detrimental impact on existing and future use of unlicensed or shared spectrum. Others have asserted that LTE–U and LAA are more efficient than other currently available unlicensed technologies, that LTE–U and LAA include features to share the spectrum fairly with no detrimental impact on existing users of the spectrum, and that consumers will ultimately benefit from increased access to spectrum. We observe that the impact of LTE–U and LAA on unlicensed operations and technologies such as Wi-Fi would be quite different in each bands—the 3.5 GHz band is generally newly available spectrum while the 5 GHz bands are already heavily used by Wi-Fi and other unlicensed devices. 3. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which develops standards for commercial wireless technologies, is developing the LTE–U and LAA standards. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Working Group 802.11 (IEEE 802.11) develops standards for wireless local area networks such as Wi-Fi and other unlicensed technologies. Although many parties participate in both standards bodies, the organizations have a limited historical working relationship given their different backgrounds and scopes. We are aware that some companies have formed the LTE–U Forum,2 which is considering deployment of LTE–U/LAA using a ‘‘pre-standard’’ version of LTE–U/LAA. 4. The Commission has historically adopted rules that are technologically neutral and remains committed to this policy. With this principle in mind, we are opening this docket to provide an opportunity for interested parties to enable a fully participatory and transparent discussion about LTE–U and LAA technologies and how they will coexist with other technologies, including Wi-Fi. We specifically seek information on the following topics: • What different variations of LTE in unlicensed spectrum (e.g., LTE–U, LAA) are under active development or on a 1 See Amendment of the Commission’s Rules with Regard to Commercial Operations in the 3550– 3650 MHz Band, GN Docket No. 12–354, Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, adopted April 17, 2015, FCC 15–47. See also Revision of Part 15 of the Commission’s Rules to Permit Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U–NII) Devices in the 5 GHz Band, ET Docket No. 13–49, First Report and Order, released April 1, 2014, see 29 FCC Rcd 4127 (2014). 2 The LTE–U Forum, which was formed in 2014, includes Verizon, Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, and Samsung. The Forum is developing technical specifications for LTE–U to demonstrate coexistence with Wi-Fi devices in the 5 GHz bands. PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 roadmap for future development? How do they relate to one another in terms of technology, potential use, and timing of availability? • What is the current state of development of the LTE–U and LAA standards and what is the anticipated schedule for completion of the LTE–U and LAA standards? • What is the status of coordination between 3GPP and the IEEE 802.11 on LTE–U and LAA, and what is the process for coming to agreement on appropriate sharing characteristics to ensure co-existence with the IEEE 802.11 family of standards? • What are the anticipated technical characteristics (e.g. bandwidth(s), listenbefore-talk, transmission durations, etc.) of LTE–U and LAA? • What tests or analyses have been performed to understand the impact of LTE–U and LAA on the existing commercial wireless and unlicensed ecosystems? • Precisely how will LAA integrate licensed and unlicensed carriers, particularly with regard to controlling access to spectrum? • To what extent is a standalone form of LTE–U being developed, that is, a form that can operate without a licensed primary channel? • Are existing devices capable of software upgrades to implement LTE–U and LAA? • What frequency bands are envisioned for deployment of LTE–U and LAA? • What plans do carriers and manufacturers have for pre-standard deployment of LTE–U and LAA equipment including possible upgrades to 3GPP-based LTE–U or LAA and how would the above questions (particularly with respect to coexistence issues) be addressed relative to pre-standard versions of LTE–U and LAA? 5. In addition to information in response to these questions, we encourage parties to submit whatever additional information they feel is relevant to this matter. 6. This public notice is being issued pursuant to §§ 0.31 and 0.131 of the Commission’s rules by the Office of Engineering and Technology and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.3 7. For further information contact Ira Keltz in the Office of Engineering and Technology, Ira.Keltz@fcc.gov, 202– 418–0616 or Chris Helzer, in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, chris.helzer@fcc.gov, 202–418–2791. 8. For more news and information about the Federal Communications Commission, please visit: www.fcc.gov. 3 47 CFR 0.31, 0.131. E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM 08MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 89 / Friday, May 8, 2015 / Notices Federal Communications Commission. Julius P. Knapp, Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology. [FR Doc. 2015–11211 Filed 5–7–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712–01–P FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. AGENCY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501– 3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission’s burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number. DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before June 8, 2015. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contacts below as soon as possible. asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via email VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:38 May 07, 2015 Jkt 235001 For additional information or copies of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418–2918. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page <https:// www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain>, (2) look for the section of the Web page called ‘‘Currently Under Review,’’ (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the ‘‘Select Agency’’ box below the ‘‘Currently Under Review’’ heading, (4) select ‘‘Federal Communications Commission’’ from the list of agencies presented in the ‘‘Select Agency’’ box, (5) click the ‘‘Submit’’ button to the right of the ‘‘Select Agency’’ box, (6) when the list of FCC ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 3060–0174. Title: Sections 73.1212, 76.1615 and 76.1715, Sponsorship Identification. Form Number: N/A. Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection. Respondents/Affected Parties: Business or other for profit entities; Individuals or households. Number of Respondents and Responses: 22,900 respondents and 1,877,000 responses. Estimated Time per Response: .0011 to .2011 hours. Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; Third party disclosure requirement; On occasion reporting requirement. Total Annual Burden: 249,043 hours. Total Annual Cost: $34,623. Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in sections 4(i), 317 and 507 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The FCC is preparing a system of records, FCC/MB–2, ‘‘Broadcast Station Public Inspection Files,’’ to cover the personally identifiable information (PII) that may be included in the broadcast station public inspection files. Respondents may request materials or information submitted to the Commission be withheld from public FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: [OMB 3060–0174. 3060–0580, 3060–1154 and 3060–1174] ADDRESSES: Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov; and to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email PRA@ fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov. Include in the comments the OMB control number as shown in the ‘‘Supplementary Information’’ section below. PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 26563 inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission’s rules. Privacy Impact Assessment(s): The FCC is preparing a PIA. Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements that are approved under this collection are as follows: 47 CFR 73.1212 requires a broadcast station to identify at the time of broadcast the sponsor of any matter for which consideration is provided. For advertising commercial products or services, generally the mention of the name of the product or service constitutes sponsorship identification. In the case of television political advertisements concerning candidates for public office, the sponsor shall be identified with letters equal to or greater than four (4) percent of the vertical height of the television screen that airs for no less than four (4) seconds. In addition, when an entity rather than an individual sponsors the broadcast of matter that is of a political or controversial nature, licensee is required to retain a list of the executive officers, or board of directors, or executive committee, etc., of the organization paying for such matter. Sponsorship announcements are waived with respect to the broadcast of ‘‘want ads’’ sponsored by an individual but the licensee shall maintain a list showing the name, address and telephone number of each such advertiser. These lists shall be made available for public inspection. 47 CFR 73.1212(e) states that, when an entity rather than an individual sponsors the broadcast of matter that is of a political or controversial nature, the licensee is required to retain a list of the executive officers, or board of directors, or executive committee, etc., of the organization paying for such matter in its public file. Pursuant to the changes contained in 47 CFR 73.1212(e) and 47 CFR 73.3526(e)(19), this list, which could contain personally identifiable information, would be located in a public inspection file to be located on the Commission’s Web site instead of being maintained in the public file at the station. Burden estimates for this change are included in OMB Control Number 3060–0214. 47 CFR 76.1615 states that, when a cable operator engaged in origination cablecasting presents any matter for which money, service or other valuable consideration is provided to such cable television system operator, the cable television system operator, at the time of the telecast, shall identify the sponsor. Under this rule section, when advertising commercial products or services, an announcement stating the E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM 08MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 89 (Friday, May 8, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26561-26563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11211]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[ET Docket No. 15-105; DA 15-516]


Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Information on Current Trends in LTE-U 
and LAA Technology

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this document, the Office of Engineering and Technology 
(OET) and Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) seek information on 
technologies and techniques they will implement to share spectrum with 
existing unlicensed operations and technologies such as Wi-Fi that are 
widely used by the public. Parties within the wireless industry are 
developing a version of commercial wireless LTE technology called LTE-
Unlicensed (LTE-U) that is intended for operations in certain 
unlicensed frequency bands. LTE-U could operate in conjunction with 
licensed commercial wireless services using a technique called Licensed 
Assisted Access (LAA) whereby a channel in an operator's licensed 
spectrum is used as the primary channel for devices operating on an 
unlicensed basis.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before June 11, 2015 and reply 
comments must be filed on or before June 26, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by ET Docket No. 15-105, 
by any of the following methods:
     Federal Communications Commission's Web site: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. Follow the instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Ira Keltz, Office of Engineering and Technology, 
Room 7-C250, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20554 and Chris Helzer, Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau, Room 6-6415, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20554.
     People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request 
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: FCC504@fcc.gov or phone: 202-418-
0530 or TTY: 202-418-0432.
    For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional 
information on the process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 
of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ira Keltz, Office of Engineering and 
Technology, (202) 418-0616, email Ira.Keltz@fcc.gov, and Chris Helzer, 
(202) 418-2791, email Chris.Helzer@fcc.gov and TTY (202) 418-2989.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's 
document, ET Docket No. 15-105, DA 15-516, released May 5, 2015. The 
full text of this document is available for inspection and copying 
during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room CY-
A257), 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. The complete text of 
this document also may be purchased from the Commission's copy 
contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 12th Street SW., Room, 
CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554. The full text may also be downloaded at: 
www.fcc.gov.
    Pursuant to Sec. Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments on or before 
the date indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be 
filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). 
See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 
24121 (1998).
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.
     Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket 
or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers 
must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or 
rulemaking number.
     Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by 
commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. 
Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's 
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.

[[Page 26562]]

     All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings 
for the Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 
445 12th St. SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours 
are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together 
with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be 
disposed of before entering the building.
     Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton 
Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
     U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority 
mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554.
    People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the 
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-
418-0432 (tty).
    Comments and reply comments will be available for public inspection 
during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center, Federal 
Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., CY-A257, Washington, DC 
20554. These documents will also be available via ECFS.

Synopsis of Public Notice

    1. Parties within the wireless industry are developing a version of 
commercial wireless LTE technology called LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) that 
is intended for operations in certain unlicensed frequency bands. LTE-U 
could operate in conjunction with licensed commercial wireless services 
using a technique called Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) whereby a 
channel in an operator's licensed spectrum is used as the primary 
channel for devices operating on an unlicensed basis. By this public 
notice, the Office of Engineering and Technology and the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau seek information on these technologies and 
the techniques they will implement to share spectrum with existing 
unlicensed operations and technologies such as Wi-Fi that are widely 
used by the public.
    2. A number of organizations have approached the Commission about 
the development of LTE-U and LAA in the context of the 3.5 GHz and 5 
GHz proceedings, which would make spectrum available for general access 
and unlicensed use, respectively.\1\ Some have expressed concern that 
LTE-U and LAA operations may have a detrimental impact on existing and 
future use of unlicensed or shared spectrum. Others have asserted that 
LTE-U and LAA are more efficient than other currently available 
unlicensed technologies, that LTE-U and LAA include features to share 
the spectrum fairly with no detrimental impact on existing users of the 
spectrum, and that consumers will ultimately benefit from increased 
access to spectrum. We observe that the impact of LTE-U and LAA on 
unlicensed operations and technologies such as Wi-Fi would be quite 
different in each bands--the 3.5 GHz band is generally newly available 
spectrum while the 5 GHz bands are already heavily used by Wi-Fi and 
other unlicensed devices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Amendment of the Commission's Rules with Regard to 
Commercial Operations in the 3550-3650 MHz Band, GN Docket No. 12-
354, Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, adopted April 17, 2015, FCC 15-47. See also Revision of 
Part 15 of the Commission's Rules to Permit Unlicensed National 
Information Infrastructure (U-NII) Devices in the 5 GHz Band, ET 
Docket No. 13-49, First Report and Order, released April 1, 2014, 
see 29 FCC Rcd 4127 (2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which develops 
standards for commercial wireless technologies, is developing the LTE-U 
and LAA standards. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics 
Engineers Working Group 802.11 (IEEE 802.11) develops standards for 
wireless local area networks such as Wi-Fi and other unlicensed 
technologies. Although many parties participate in both standards 
bodies, the organizations have a limited historical working 
relationship given their different backgrounds and scopes. We are aware 
that some companies have formed the LTE-U Forum,\2\ which is 
considering deployment of LTE-U/LAA using a ``pre-standard'' version of 
LTE-U/LAA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The LTE-U Forum, which was formed in 2014, includes Verizon, 
Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, and Samsung. The 
Forum is developing technical specifications for LTE-U to 
demonstrate coexistence with Wi-Fi devices in the 5 GHz bands.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    4. The Commission has historically adopted rules that are 
technologically neutral and remains committed to this policy. With this 
principle in mind, we are opening this docket to provide an opportunity 
for interested parties to enable a fully participatory and transparent 
discussion about LTE-U and LAA technologies and how they will coexist 
with other technologies, including Wi-Fi. We specifically seek 
information on the following topics:
     What different variations of LTE in unlicensed spectrum 
(e.g., LTE-U, LAA) are under active development or on a roadmap for 
future development? How do they relate to one another in terms of 
technology, potential use, and timing of availability?
     What is the current state of development of the LTE-U and 
LAA standards and what is the anticipated schedule for completion of 
the LTE-U and LAA standards?
     What is the status of coordination between 3GPP and the 
IEEE 802.11 on LTE-U and LAA, and what is the process for coming to 
agreement on appropriate sharing characteristics to ensure co-existence 
with the IEEE 802.11 family of standards?
     What are the anticipated technical characteristics (e.g. 
bandwidth(s), listen-before-talk, transmission durations, etc.) of LTE-
U and LAA?
     What tests or analyses have been performed to understand 
the impact of LTE-U and LAA on the existing commercial wireless and 
unlicensed ecosystems?
     Precisely how will LAA integrate licensed and unlicensed 
carriers, particularly with regard to controlling access to spectrum?
     To what extent is a standalone form of LTE-U being 
developed, that is, a form that can operate without a licensed primary 
channel?
     Are existing devices capable of software upgrades to 
implement LTE-U and LAA?
     What frequency bands are envisioned for deployment of LTE-
U and LAA?
     What plans do carriers and manufacturers have for pre-
standard deployment of LTE-U and LAA equipment including possible 
upgrades to 3GPP-based LTE-U or LAA and how would the above questions 
(particularly with respect to coexistence issues) be addressed relative 
to pre-standard versions of LTE-U and LAA?
    5. In addition to information in response to these questions, we 
encourage parties to submit whatever additional information they feel 
is relevant to this matter.
    6. This public notice is being issued pursuant to Sec. Sec.  0.31 
and 0.131 of the Commission's rules by the Office of Engineering and 
Technology and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ 47 CFR 0.31, 0.131.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    7. For further information contact Ira Keltz in the Office of 
Engineering and Technology, Ira.Keltz@fcc.gov, 202-418-0616 or Chris 
Helzer, in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, 
chris.helzer@fcc.gov, 202-418-2791.
    8. For more news and information about the Federal Communications 
Commission, please visit: www.fcc.gov.


[[Page 26563]]


Federal Communications Commission.
Julius P. Knapp,
Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2015-11211 Filed 5-7-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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