[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]


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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.

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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: http://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: [email protected] 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 [email protected], and Chris Helzer, 
(202) 418-2791, email [email protected] 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: http://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 [email protected] 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.
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    \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).
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    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.
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    \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.
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    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\
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    \3\ 47 CFR 0.31, 0.131.
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    7. For further information contact Ira Keltz in the Office of 
Engineering and Technology, [email protected], 202-418-0616 or Chris 
Helzer, in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, 
[email protected], 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