[HN Gopher] The US C-Band Spectrum Saga, Explained
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       The US C-Band Spectrum Saga, Explained
        
       Author : aml183
       Score  : 26 points
       Date   : 2021-11-30 19:31 UTC (3 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (payloadspace.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (payloadspace.com)
        
       | pianoben wrote:
       | The article wears its editorial bias rather strongly, and to me
       | seems to imply that the public auction was a de facto giveaway to
       | telcos. It fits my preconception of Ajit Pai's tenure.
       | 
       | Is there another perspective here? Were other interests served by
       | reallocating this spectrum? I'd love to learn that this was sound
       | technical policy or something.
        
         | AnotherGoodName wrote:
         | Isn't it the opposite? The public auction went to the highest
         | bidder.
         | 
         | It turns out this spectrum is far more valuable for terrestrial
         | use ($81billion paid for it) than it was for satellite use. So
         | the satellite users are being kicked off it since they couldn't
         | pay that amount.
        
           | pianoben wrote:
           | To me, this reads as "the telcos wanted the spectrum for
           | themselves, and muscled out the satellite providers with the
           | help of their inside man".
           | 
           | If you consider the spectrum's value to be fairly represented
           | by what telcos paid, and that the societal value of the
           | spectrum is best realized by those who can pay the most, then
           | sure, this represents the optimal outcome. I don't
           | necessarily believe either of those two points - but that's
           | why I'm asking here, because I don't really have a good
           | grounding in the facts.
        
           | [deleted]
        
       | nickysielicki wrote:
       | https://rickcaylor.websitetoolbox.com/post/the-beginning-of-...
       | 
       | Here's a discussion from the side of the nerds who still consume
       | these feeds.
        
       | 310260 wrote:
       | There really is no excuse for the FAA holdup happening currently.
       | The same spectrum has been in use in European nations for a while
       | now as their primary 5G band. They have not run into any
       | interference issues that would delay their rollout like this.
       | 
       | It also further helps T-Mobile as the spectrum they've been
       | allocating for 5G is in the 600 MHz and 2.5 GHz range. T-Mobile
       | owns some C-band but it's not set to be available until 2023
       | regardless. AT&T and Verizon, however, will be relying on C-band
       | spectrum for the brunt of their 5G capacity. Without it, their
       | networks are a tiny sliver of 850 MHz and/or mmWave with very
       | limited coverage.
        
         | aftbit wrote:
         | Here's the reason that the FAA is currently attempting to block
         | this. I'd love to see more real-world testing, and a commitment
         | from the telcos that _if_ interference arises, they'll vacate
         | the spectrum. Flight safety trumps greater mobile bandwidth
         | IMO.
         | 
         | https://www.rtca.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SC-239-5G-In...
        
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       (page generated 2021-11-30 23:01 UTC)