On November 25, 2024 the FCC released a new specification which clarifies a point regarding fixed wireless technology codes.
The update states…
This presents a significant challenge for most operators with mixed networks. Faster speeds are usually achievable with unlicensed spectrum, but the FCC considers unlicensed spectrum to be unreliable. Overlap of technologies is no longer allowed so all but one technology must be discarded for a given location.
Discarding the faster speeds in favor of the reliability will underreport the operators speeds, but discarding the reliability in favor of speeds may affect how BEAD money is distributed where an operator could be potentially overbuilt.
Example:
In the image below we see Gigabit 60 GHz service in blue and Licensed CBRS (100/20 Mbps) in green. In the area of overlap only one is allowed. The operator must choose to discard the fact that he services this area with gigabit service or discard the fact that he covers this area with reliable service.
In Step 3 of the BDC Export tool for cnHeat the user now has a choice in how to merge the various exports.
Priority Options:
- Reliability - prioritizes tech code based on the BDC guidelines.
- Speed - prioritizes speed over tech code
- Legacy - keeps the layers independent and does not prioritize. (It is expected that from now on the BDC portal will no longer accept this type of submission.)
As always if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at cnheat@cambiumnetworks.com.