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SMSE-002-17CommentsofCiscoSystems,Inc.
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CanadaGazetteNoticeNo.SMSE-002-17
ConsultationontheTechnicalandPolicyFrameworkforRadioLocalAreaNetworkDevicesOperatinginthe5150-5250MHz
FrequencyBand
PublishedintheCanadaGazette,Part1DatedJanuary28,2017
Commentsof
29March2017
SMSE-002-17CommentsofCiscoSystems,Inc.
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I. IntroductionandSummary
CiscoSystems,Inc.(Cisco)herebyprovidesitscommentinsupportofadvancingchanges
intechnicalregulationsforRadioLocalAreaNetwork(RLAN)devicesinthe5150-5250MHz
band.CiscoapplaudsInnovation,Science,EconomicDevelopmentCanadaforraisingimportant
spectrumpolicyquestionsthatwill,ifadopted,optimizethisbandforRLANusebyCanadian
consumerswhileprotectingincumbentinterests.
CiscoisdeeplycommittedtoCanada.Inoperationsince1990,CiscoCanadahas
approximately1700employeesacrossthecountryandofficesinToronto(HQ),Ottawa,Kanata,
Montreal,Vancouver,Calgary,Edmonton,WinnipegandHalifax.Cisco’sKanataR&Dfacilityis
hometoapproximately600employeesandisoneofonlyfourR&DfacilitiesforCiscoglobally.
Cisco’sTorontoInnovationCentrewhichopenedinJanuary2016andisfocusedondigital
innovation,isoneofnineforCiscoworldwideandtheonlyoneinNorthAmerica.Additionally,
CiscoCanadasupports292NetworkingAcademieswithover22,000studentscurrently
enrolled,funds12universityresearchchairs,haslauncheda$150Mventurecapitalfundand
supportsCSRprogrammingsuchasourConnectedNorthprogramandWomen’sEntrepreneurs
Circle.
The5150-5250MHzbandinitscurrentconfigurationopenedtoRLANusein2005.In
2005,Facebookwascelebratingitsfirstbirthday,Instagramwouldnotbeavailableuntil2010,
andSnapchatwouldnotbebornuntil2011.Smartphonetechnologywasbrandnew.Live
streamingaprogramofftheInternetwasnascent.AsforWi-Fi,themostcommercially
significantofRLANtechnologies,itwasusingtheIEEE802.11atechnology,withanaverage
SMSE-002-17CommentsofCiscoSystems,Inc.
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throughputofaround20megabitspersecond.Wi-Fiwasinteresting,growinginpopularity,
butitwasn’tyetviewedaseconomicallyimportant.Forthatreason,RLANsusingtheband
were,andcontinuetobe,restrictedtoindoorusewithamaximume.i.r.p.of200mW.
Twelveyearslater,westandinadifferentplace.Wi-FiistheworkhorseoftheInternet,
carryingmoretraffictoandfromclientdevicesthaneitherfixedwiredtechnologiesorcellular
mobiletechnologies.InCanada,Ciscoprojectsthatby2021,55percentofallIPtrafficwill
beginorendonaWi-Finetwork.Distinguishedeconomistshavestudiedregulatorysystems
thatsupportwidespreadWi-Fi,andfoundthatsuchregimescontributetopositivechangesin
GrossDomesticProduct.ConsumersandbusinessesalikedemandrobustWi-Fi,andthe
technologyhasbecomekeytobusinessoperationsasvariedasmanufacturingtobankingto
agriculture.DemandforWi-Fihassoared,andbasedonCisco’sprojections,willcontinueto
increasefortheforeseeablefuture.
ThequestionsthatISEDraisesinthisconsultation,therefore,arebothtimelyand
importantforCanadiancitizensandtheeconomy.Thefirstquestion–lookingatthebenefits
ofraisingpowerlevelsforRLANsinthe5150-5250MHzband–iscritical.Allowinghigher
powerlevelsthatwillsupportoutdooruses–andthatalsoallowindoordeploymentstooperate
atpowerhigherthan200mW–willspurtheuseofWi-FithroughouttheCanadianeconomy,
andwillbenefitconsumerswhoincreasinglyrelyonWi-Fiforbroadbandconnectivity.The
secondquestion–whetherincumbentsatelliteuserscanbeprotected–isalsoimportant,and
canbeansweredintheaffirmative.ProvidedISEDadoptstheproposedmitigationsofan
SMSE-002-17CommentsofCiscoSystems,Inc.
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outdoorantennamaskthathasbeenproveninotherjurisdictions,andadoptsalightlicensing
approach,ISEDcanproceedwithconfidencethatitisdoingnoharm–noworinthefuture–to
satelliteincumbents.Third,ISEDasksquestionsabouttheregulatoryregimeitcouldorshould
adopt.InCisco’sview,ISEDshouldstriveforaregimethatisascloseaspossibletotheUS
regulationsadoptedin2014,recognizingthattheunderlyinglegalfoundationsmaybe
somewhatdifferent.
OthercountriesarebeginningtorecognizethewisdomofmaximizingtheWi-Fi
opportunity.NotonlyhasCanada’ssouthernneighborchangeditspolicyin2014,butthat
changeisnowbeingadoptedinotherregionaleconomies.PanamahasrecentlyadoptedaUS
ruleapproach.1IntheUnitedKingdom,apanelofexpertshasrecentlyrecommendedtoOfcom
totakeupthequestionofhigherpower(subjecttomitigationstoprotectincumbents).2
Inthissubmission,CiscowillfirstdiscusshowdemandhaschangedprofoundlyforWi-Fi
andwhereCiscoforecastsdemandtobethrough2021.Theprojecteddemandincreases
through2020and2021showthatconsumersandbusinessescontinuetoreachforWi-Fias
theirconnectionofchoicetotheInternet.Ciscowillthenreviewtheeconomicliterature
aroundWi-Fideployment,whichconcludesthatnationsthathaverobustandadvancedWi-Fi
capabilityexperienceeconomicgrowthassociatedwiththevaluethatWi-Fibringstothe
1ResolucionANNo.10784–Telco,AutoridadNacionalDeLosServiciosPublicos,GacetaOficialDigital,martes27diciembrede2016pagina(page)15-16.2http://www.techuk.org/insights/reports/item/10050-industry-priorities-for-making-best-use-of-5ghz-spectrum
SMSE-002-17CommentsofCiscoSystems,Inc.
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broadbandecosystem.ImprovedaccesstoWi-FiwillhelpCanadatakefulladvantageofthis
effect.ThiscommentalsoreviewsthetechnologicalchangesinWi-Fitodemonstratetheneed
toadjustrulestoaccommodate,andtakeadvantageof,thecurrentgenerationoftechnology.
CiscowillalsoreviewtherecordamassedbytheUSFCConuseoftheantennamasktoprotect
satelliteincumbents,aswellastheUSregistrationsystem.Withthesefactualpredicates,Cisco
willrespondtothethreequestionsraisedintheconsultation:(1)Ciscobelievesthereisboth
demandforandeconomicbenefitstoallowingHPODsinthe5150-5250MHzbandaheadof
WRC-19andurgespromptactiononthisconsultation;(2)Ciscobelievesthatutilizingan
elevationmaskwillprotectsatellitesystemsfrominterference;and(3)Ciscobelievesa
regulatoryapproachsimilartothatadoptedbytheUSFCCwillensuretimelydeployment,while
alsoprotectingexistingandfutureservicesintheband.Finally,Ciscorespectfullyrequeststhat
ISEDalsoconsideradjustingitsrulesforindooroperationsinthebandtopermithigherpower
levels.
II. Demand,economicbenefits,andtechnologyrequirementssupportmaximizing
accesstoWi-Fitoday
A. Demand
Whenconsideringaccesstospectrumforunlicenseddevices,Ciscobelievesthestarting
pointisanunderstandingofthedemand-basedchangesoccurringintheuseofunlicensed
spectrum.Where,ashere,demandisgrowingsharply,itisimportanttoactpromptlyto
improveaccesstotheradiospectrumresource.Eachyear,Ciscoreleasesarollingfive-year
forecastcalledthe“VisualNetworkingIndex”,includingbothastudythatlooksexclusivelyat
mobiledatademandandunlicensedoffloading(releasedinFebruary),aswellasastudyofall
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typesofIPorInternettrafficthatalsolooksatdemandforfixedapplicationsofunlicensed
(releasedinJune).3Todate,thedominanttechnologyintheunlicensedcategoryhasbeenWi-
Fi.Cisco’sforecasthasproventobehighlyaccurateovertime,andiswidelyusedbyregulators
globallyinconsideringarangeofissuesthatrelatetohowdemandwillbegrowinginthe
future.
First,Wi-FiinCanada,likemostdevelopedeconomies,isthemost-usedtechnology
platformbywhichconsumersandbusinessesaccesstheInternet:
• Canada'sfixed/Wi-Fi(Wi-Fiattheedgeofafixedbroadbandconnection)represents
57.6percentofCanada’stotalInternettrafficin2015,andwillbe64.9percentofCanada’stotalInternettrafficin2020.
• Whilemobiledatatrafficisgrowing,itremainsafractionofWi-Fitraffic.Canada'sMobiledatawas4.6percentoftotalInternettrafficin2015,andwillbe9.9percentoftotalInternettrafficin2020.
• Theremainderoftrafficisfixed/wiredtraffic.Ofnote,Canada'sfixed/Wi-FiInternettrafficwillbe2.6timeslargerthanfixed/wiredInternettrafficby2020.
Second,Wi-FitechnologiesareincreasinglyusedbyCanadianmobilephonesubscribersto
offloadtrafficfromlicensedmobilenetworkstoWi-Finetworks.
• Withoutoffload,Canada'smobiledatatrafficwouldgrowatacompoundannualgrowth
rateof41percentinsteadof36percent,creatingadditionalcongestiononmobilenetworks(assumingotherfactorssuchasspectrumallocationsdonotchange).
• 71percentofCanada'smobiledatatrafficwasoffloadedin2016.• 75percentofCanada'smobiledatatrafficwillbeoffloadedby2021.• Thesetrendsaredrivenbytheincreasinguptakeofsmartphones.Theamountoftraffic
offloadedfromsmartphoneswillbe78percentby2021,comparedto69percentattheendof2016.
3www.cisco.com/go/vniThelandingpageallowsausertoselecteithertheMobileVisualNetworkingForecasttool(February2017)ortheCompleteVisualNetworkingForecasttool(June2016).EithertoolallowsyoutofilterthedatabycountryandtoselectCanada.
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Fromthesestatistics,itiseasytoseethatCanadastandsinasimilarpositiontomost
developedcountriesintermsofhowitscitizensandvisitorsareincreasinglydependingupon
Wi-Fiforconnectivity,andhowdemandwillcontinuetoincreasethrough2021.
B. Economicbenefits
EconomicbenefitsofmaximizingaccesstoWi-Fiarealsoakeyfactor,underscoringjust
howimportantunlicenseduseistoeconomicgrowth,toconsumerwelfare,andtohelpingto
controlthecostofmobilenetworksthroughoffloading.Whiletherearenostudiesspecificto
Canada,abriefreviewoftheliteraturedemonstrateswhyCanadianpolicymakersshouldbe
interestedinmaximizingtheuseofunlicensedspectrumfortechnologiessuchasWi-Fi.Byany
measure,thenumberslistedbelowarelarge–whethertheyareanattempttomeasuremacro-
economiceffectsorthebenefitstooperatorsofoffloading.
• ValueofUnlicensedSpectrumintheUS–Katz(2014) Inthisstudy,theauthor
reviewedfoureconomicstudiesofthevalueofunlicensedspectrum.Henotesthat“unlicensedspectrumshouldbeconsideredacriticalproductionfactorthatgeneratesvalueacrossfourdimensions:
o complementingwirelineandcellulartechnologies,therebyenhancingtheireffectiveness;
o providinganenvironmentconducivetothedevelopmentofalternativetechnologies,thusexpandingconsumerchoice;
o enablingthelaunchofinnovativebusinessmodels;o expandingaccesstocommunicationsservicesbeyondwhatiseconomically
optimalbytechnologiesoperatinginlicensedbands.ThecompilationofeffectsoutlinedaboveindicatesthatthetechnologiesoperatinginunlicensedspectrumbandsintheUnitedStatesgeneratedatotaleconomicvalueof$222billionin2013andcontributed$6.7billiontothenation’sGDP.4“
4ValueofUnlicensedSpectrum,Katz(2014)availableathttp://www.wififorward.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Value-of-Unlicensed-Spectrum-to-the-US-Economy-Full-Report.pdfat6-8.
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InnominalGDPterms,ifCanada’seconomyisroughly8%oftheUSeconomy,thetotaleconomicvalueofunlicensedtechnologiesinCanadaiseasilyontheorderof20-$25billionCanadiandollars.
• TheEconomicSignificanceofUnlicensedtotheFutureoftheInternet,Thanki(2012).5Thankifindsthatonaglobalbasis,Wi-Fisubstantiallyenhancesthevalueoffixedbroadband,increasingtake-upandallowingconnectionstobeeffectivelysharedbetweenmultipleindividuals.Hestatesthat439millionhouseholds–25percentofallhouseholdsworldwide–havehomeWi-Finetworks,andthateachhouseholdmayderiveayearlybenefitfromWi-Fiof$118to$225resultinginatotaleconomicgainforallhouseholdsofaround$52to$99billionannually.WithoutWi-Fi,thevalueoffixedbroadbandwouldbelowerandwouldresultinthedisconnectionofperhaps50to114millionfixedbroadbandconnectionsaroundtheworld.AtAnnex3,ThankipresentsacalculationofthetotalnumberofmobileoperatorcellsitesneededtomeetdemandintheabsenceofWi-Fioffloading–forCanada,upto27,000dependingonfrequencyandcustomerusage.PerISED,therearetodayabout13,000cellsites.6
• Future-ProofingWi-Fi:TheCaseforMoreSpectrum,PlumConsulting(2013)at
AppendixD.7InastudytosupportexpansionofunlicensedspectrumtomeethigherbandwidthrequirementsinEurope,Plumfound:“Sinceexpandedaccesstospectrumenableshigherspeeds,weobtainaNetPresentValue(NPV)benefitestimateforEuropeof€12.3billionintermsofgainsinspeedbygivingaccesstocontiguousspectrumat5GHz….WeobtainanNPVbenefitestimateforEuropeof€4.0billionfromcostsavingsduetoadditionalmobileoffload.”ThetotalNPVthereforeexceeds€16billion.
• FutureUseofLicense-ExemptSpectrumUK–PlumConsulting(2016).8Thisstudy
standsforthegeneralneedtomaximizeuseofthe5GHzband,butdidnotspecificallyrecommendachangein5150-5250powerlevels.“Plumestimatedthe
5TheEconomicSignificanceofUnlicensedtotheFutureoftheInternet,Thanki(2012)availableat:http://www.wirelessinnovationalliance.org/index.cfm?objectid=dc8708c0-d1d2-11e1-96e9000c296ba1636Seehttp://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ic-gc.nsf/eng/07422.html7“Future-ProofingWi-Fi:TheCaseforMoreSpectrum,”PlumConsulting(2013)AppendixD,availableat:http://plumconsulting.co.uk/future-proofing-wi-fi-–-case-more-spectrum/8“FutureUseofLicense-ExemptSpectrumUK,”PlumConsulting(2016)atpage11,availableathttp://plumconsulting.co.uk/future-use-licence-exempt-spectrum/
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economicvalueofWi-FiaccessinEuropein2013tobeapproximately€15Billion.Basedontheassumptionsthatthepercentageofhouseholdswithfixedbroadbandwouldgrowto95%andthatthevalueperhouseholdwouldgrowbyafurther30%inrealtermstoreflecttheincreasednumberofdigitaldevicesinthehome,theprojectedvaluefor2023wasexpectedtogrowto€23billion.”
• Studyontheimpactoftrafficoffloadingandrelatedtechnologicaltrendsonthe
demandforwirelessbroadbandspectrum,EuropeanCommissionDGCommunicationsNetworks,Content&Technology (2013).9Thisstudylooksathowtheannualizedcostofmobilenetworkswouldbesignificantlygreaterintheabsenceofusers’abilitytooffloadtoWi-Fi,findingresultsontheorderof€15-50billiondependingoncountry.
Ciscocanthinkofnoreasonwhytheeconomicimpactsofbetteraccesstounlicensedspectrum
inCanadawouldbeanydifferentinkindthanthatofEuropeortheUS.
C. Technologicalimperatives
JustasLTEandothertechnologiesareevolvingtomeetgrowingconsumerdemandfor
data,soisWi-Fi.ThecurrentstandardforWi-FiisIEEE802.11ac,whichprovidesforvarious
channelwidthsofupto160MHzwide,alongwithahostofothertechnological
improvements.10Itisworthemphasizingthat802.11actechnologyhasbeendesignedtoONLY
operateinthe5GHzbandwherebroaderchannelizationispossible,anddoesnotoperatein
theunlicensedbandat2.4GHz.
9“Studyontheimpactoftrafficoffloadingandrelatedtechnologicaltrendsonthedemandforwirelessbroadbandspectrum,”EuropeanCommissionDGCommunicationsNetworks,Content&Technology (2013)atpages153-154availableathttp://bookshop.europa.eu/en/study-on-impact-of-traffic-off-loading-and-related-technological-trends-on-the-demand-for-wireless-broadband-spectrum-pbKK0113239/10IndustryisalreadyworkingonIEEE802.11ax,thenextgenerationofWi-Fi,whichwillcontaintechnicalimprovementsthat,forexample,increasetheabilityofnetworkstosupportlargernumberofusers.But802.11axwillnotchangethebasicchannelizationintroducedin802.11ac.Productswiththe802.11axdesignationwillbeginappearingin2017.
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• Unlike802.11n,whichislimitedtoamaximumchannelbandwidthof40MHz,802.11acpermitschannelbandwidthsof80MHzand160MHz,whichincreasespeedsby117%and333%,respectively;
• 802.11acemployshigher-densitymodulation,accommodatingupto256quadratureamplitudemodulation(QAM),asopposedtothemaximum64QAMpermittedunder802.11n(fora33%speedburstatshorter,yetstillusable,ranges);and
• Whereas802.11nallowedonlyfoursimultaneousspatialdatastreams,802.11acprovidesforeight(foranother100%increaseinspeed).
The“realworld”relevanceoftheseimprovementsinIEEE802.11acismanifest.As
illustratedbythefollowinggraphic,fortheminimumpermissible802.11acproduct
configuration,speedswillbe4.4timesfasterthanthecorresponding802.11nproduct.Mid-tier
andhigher-end802.11acproductsarenearlythreetimesfasterthantheir802.11n
counterparts.
Source:Cisco11
11 This chart was originally presented in a white paper “802.11ac: The Fifth Generation of Wi-Fi Technical White Paper” which can found at:
CV
2
802.11ac is at the end of a progression to higher rates over a 16 year period
802.11 802.11b 802.11a/g 802.11n 802.11ac
600
6900
1300
870
290
11
2
450
300
6554
24
6900
3500
1730
290
Wave 1(80MHz)
Wave 2(160MHz)
EvolutionofWi-FiTechnology
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Theseimprovementshaverealvalueasnetworksareincreasinglyusedtotransmithigh
definitionvideo,atrendthatCiscocontinuestotrackinitsVNIforecast.12InCanada
specifically,Internetvideotrafficwillgrowthree-foldfrom2015to2020,acompoundannual
growthrateof27percent.ConsumerInternetvideotrafficwillbe83percentofconsumer
Internettrafficin2020,upfrom71percentin2015.AsdiscussedintheDemandsectionabove,
themajorityofthatvideowilloriginateorterminateonaWi-Finetwork.
YetCanadianconsumerstodayhaveaccesstoonlyfive80MHzwidechannels,andno
contiguous160MHzchannelsareavailableforuseoutdoors.Inaddition,the80MHzchannel
containedwithinthe5150-5250MHzbandistodaypermittedonlyatverylowpower.
CanadiansarethereforemakinglimiteduseofthelatestgenerationofWi-Fi,asituationthat
canandshouldberemedied.BelowisachartshowingtheavailablechannelsinCanada.
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-3600-series/white_paper_c11-713103.html12http://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/solutions/service-provider/vni-forecast-highlights.html#
144
140
136
132
128
124
120
116
112
108
104
100
165
161
157
153
149
6460565248444036IEEEchannel#
20MHz40MHz80MHz160MHz
5250MHz
5350MHz
5470MHz
5725MHz
9692888480767268 169
173
177
181
5825MHz
5925MHz
Currentlyavailablechannels
5150MHz
Unavailablechannels
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Theneedforpromptactiontoimproveaccesstoradiospectrumisunderscoredbya
recentspectrumneedsstudyfromtheWi-FiAlliance.13Thatstudy,byQuotientAssociates,
foundthatglobally,nationsshouldbelookingtoaddbetween500MHzandupto1GHzof
spectrumforunlicensedtechnologiesbytheyear2025tomeetnetworkdemandsduringthe
Internet“busyhour.”Thestudyfurtherstressedtheimportanceofcontiguousspectrumto
takeadvantageofcurrentandfutureiterationsoftechnologythatrequirewidechannelization.
InCisco’sview,thefirstplacetolookforthatspectrumistoimprovetheabilityofconsumersto
usespectrumwithinthe5GHzband.
III. Comparativeview:USregulatoryhistoryof5150-5250MHzAsISEDconsidersimprovingaccessto5150-5250MHz,itisworthunderstandingthe
historyofthedebateintheUnitedStates.In2014,theUSregulatorfacedthesame
conundrumasISED.DespitesharpincreasesindemandforWi-Fi,newspectrumallocations
hadnotbeenmadefornearly10years.Duringthattime,Wi-Fitechnologyitselfhadchanged
substantially,specificallywithnewrequirementsforwidechannelizationthatexisting5GHz
spectrumallocationswerechallengedtomeet.Moreover,theentireWi-Fiecosystemhad
maturedconsiderably,withplayersasdiverseasprivatewirelessinternetserviceproviders,
13Wi-FiSpectrumNeedsStudy,QuotientAssociates(2017)availableat:http://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/additional-unlicensed-spectrum-needed-to-deliver-future-wi-fi-connectivity
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cableoperators,municipalities,andevenwirelessoperatorsdeployingmoreWi-Finotjust
indoors,butincreasinglyoutofdoors.WithoutWi-Fioffloading,mobileoperatorswouldbe
experiencingnetworkcongestionmoreoften.Decisionsthathadbeentakentominimizeradio
energyfromradiolocalareanetworks(RLANs)morethanadecadeearlierinanticipationof
satellitedeploymentsappearedripeforre-balancinginlightoftherelativelylightuseof5150-
5250MHzbysatellite.And,itwasclearthatWi-Fihadbecomeandwouldlikelyremainthe
technologyworkhorseoftheInternet,originatingorterminatingmoredatathananyother
technology.
WhatissignificantaboutthishistoryisthattheWi-Fiindustryandthesatellite
incumbentwerelargelyabletoagreeontheconditionsunderwhichWi-Ficouldmake
improveduseoftheband.Itisnoteworthythatthedecisionwasnotappealedbyanyparty.
Asaresult,itisworthunderstandingtheagreementthatwasreachedintheUSandwhyit
workedtoaddressallprivateinterestsandtosupportthepublicinterestaswell.
InthecaseoftheUSrules,theelevationmaskrulewastheproductofanegotiation
involvingbothcableoperatorsandGlobalstar.TheruleaddressesGlobalstar’sconcernthat
aggregateradioenergyfromHPODswouldadverselyimpactitssatelliteoperations.Bykeeping
theHPODradioenergynearahorizontalplane,theaggregateHPODenergythatthesatellite
processorswillreceiveisconsiderablylessened,enablingbothusestosharethesamespectrum
effectively.
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TheUSantennaelevationmaskrulefirstairedinanexpartefilingfromtheNational
CableandTelecommunicationsAssociation,adocumentthatmakesthreeproposalssalientto
theISEDconsultation:
(1) “[B]asestationsmustuseanantennathatlimitseffectiveisotropicallyradiated
power(“EIRP”)tonomorethan125mWinareasbeyond30degreesabovethehorizontalplane.Inotherwords,thisrequirementwouldimposearestrictionthatisequivalentto-9dBipeakgain,and,asaresultwouldfurtherreduceenergyreceivedbyGlobalstarsatellites.”14
(2) Indoordeploymentsareexemptfromtheantennamaskrule,andcanoperateupto1W.Buildingmaterialswillattenuatethesignalssufficientlywelltoprotectsatellites.
(3) Devicesthatdonotsupporttheantennamask,orthatarenotindoors,couldoperateat250mW,representingasmallincreasefromtheexisting200mWlimitunderexistingFCCrules.NCTAmadethisproposalbecauseitwouldallowdevicesusedinother5GHzbandstobeimmediatelydeployedin5150-5250MHzandwouldfurthersupportdeploymentofIEEE802.11actechnologywithitswidechannelization.
Inresponse,GlobalstarreportedthatitmetwithFCCstaffand“reiteratedGlobalstar’s
generalsupportfortheantennastandardrecentlyproposedby[NCTA}….”15Whileagreeing
withtheantennaelevationmask,Globalstarindicateditspreferenceformakingother
modificationstotheNCTAproposal:
14ExParteoftheNationalCable&TelecommunicationsAssociationinFCCETDocketNo.13-49,filedMarch4,2014atpage2.Theexpartealsodiscussestheuseofpoint-to-pointlinksintheband,arguingthatthesehighlydirectionalantennadeploymentsarealsonotlikelytoimpactsatelliteoperations.TheFCCultimatelyadoptedthisviewinitsfinalrules,butbecausetheissueisnotraisedintheISEDconsultationdocument,wedonotaddressitinourcomment.15ExParteofGlobalstar,Inc.inETDocket13-49,filedMarch18,2014.
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NCTAantennamask
Globalstar–agreement
NCTAindooroperationsat1W
Globalstar–didnotaddressasaconcern
NCTAallowdeviceswithnomaskupto250mW
Globalstar–“Commissionshouldonlypermitalreadydeployedoutdoor…accesspointstooperateuptotheproposed250mWconductedpowerlevelwithoutcomplyingwiththenewantennastandard.”FCCshouldrequirea“permissivechange”proceduretorequireoperatorstodisclosewhereandhowmanyofthesedeviceswillbeinoperation,aswellastechnicalparameters.
Globalstaradvocatedforoperatorsdeployingmorethan100outdooraccesspointstonotifytheFCCabouttheparticularsoftheirdeployments,todescribehowtheycouldmitigateifissueslaterarose,andcommittocooperatingfullyshouldharmfulinterferenceoccur.
Asaresult,theissuesintheFCCproceedingwereboileddowntotwo:(1)whetherandtowhat
extenttoallowexistingdevicesinthe5725-5850MHzbandtooperateat250mWinthe5150-
5250MHzbandwithoutanantennamaskand(2)whethertorequiresomeformofregistration
systemforlargeoutdoordeployments.
Initsdecision,theFCCsaidthefollowing:
Antennamask/outdooruse/1Wconductedpower:themaskasproposedmakesit“farlesslikelythatharmfulinterferencewilloccur,evenforproliferationofaccesspointsgreaterthanpresumedineitherparty’searlieranalysis.”16Indooruse:accesspointsdeployedindoorsmayoperateat1Wofconductedpowerwitha6dBiantennagainandnoreductioninverticalantennagaincoupledwitharequirementfora1dBreductioninconductedpowerforevery1dBthattheantennagainexceeds6dBi.17Useofaccesspointsoutdoorswithupto250mWofconductedpower:whiletheFCCencourageddevicemanufacturerstomeettheantennamaskrequirementandthereby
16ReportandOrder,ETDocket13-49atpara36.17ReportandOrder,ETDocket13-49atpara.44.
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allowaccesspointstooperateat1W,theFCCdidallowpreviouslydeployedsystemsat5725-5850MHztooperateatupto250mWinthe5150-5250MHzbandiftheoperatorssoughtandreceivedawaivertodoso.TheFCCnotedthatitexpectedtoactfavorablyandpromptlyonwaiverrequestssubmittedwithin30daysofthedatethenewrulestookeffect.18
Notificationoflargedeployments:beforedeployingoutdoorsystemsconsistingofmorethan1,000accesspoints,companiesmustsubmitalettertotheFCCacknowledgingthatshouldharmfulinterferenceoccur,theywillberequiredtotakecorrectiveaction.19
AtthetimetheNCTAproposedtheantennamaskruleandtheFCCadoptedit,most
antennasinusecommerciallycouldnotmeettheFCC’srequirement.InCisco’sview,however,
therewasnotechnologicalbarriertocreatingsuchamask.Sincetheeffectivedateofthe
order,avarietyofdevicesfrommultiplemanufacturershavebeensuccessfullybroughtto
market.Asaresult,equipmentisavailablefortheCanadianmarketshouldISEDchoosea
similarapproach.
TherelaxationofindoorlimitsfurthersupportedtheFCC’sdesiretohaveitsrulesbetter
aligntothecapabilitiesofcurrentandnextgenerationWi-Fi,includingtotakeadvantageof
improvedthroughputduetowidechannelization.Together,theserevisedrulesforoutdoor
andindooruseofRLANSrepresentasubstantialadjustmentinFCCregulationtorecognizeand
supportadvancementsinWi-Fitechnology.Asaresult,USconsumersandbusinesseshave
accesstoaspeedierandmoremodernversionofWi-Fitechnologythantheydidundertheold
rules,andWi-FicancontinuetoplayanimportantroleinthegrowingtheUSeconomy.
18ReportandOrderatpara.41.19ReportandOrderatpara.38.
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IV. IssueA:BothunlicenseddemandandeconomicbenefitscompelISEDtoactaheadofWRC-19
ISEDshouldactpromptlytoimproveaccesstospectrumbyunlicensedtechnologiesin
the5150-5250MHzband.AsthediscussionSectionIIillustrates,useofWi-Fibyconsumersand
businesseshasreachedacriticalmassinCanada.Wi-Finetworksaretheplatformofchoicefor
accessingtheInternetandIPnetworksmoregenerally(e.g.,enterprisenetworks).20Canadian
userspreferWi-Fimorethanfixedconnectionsandmorethanmobileconnectionswhen
transmittingdata.ThedemandforWi-Fishowsthatconsumersandemployeeswantto
consumedataataplaceoftheirconvenience,whichisnotnecessarilytetheredtoawallwitha
fixedwiredInternetconnection.Wi-Fimakesitpossibleforthemtoconsumedatathroughout
theirhomes,placesofbusiness,andpublicspacesaswell.AWi-Firouterpositionedattheend
ofabroadbandconnectionisnowexpected,forconsumersandenterpriseslargeandsmall.
AndpublicWi-Fiisincreasinglycommon,astheConsultationdocumentdiscussed.21
DemandforWi-Fiwillcontinuetogrow,asCisco’sVNIprojects.Thishasbeentrueina
periodwhenunlimiteddatacapshavebeeninvogueforwirelessservices,andwhentheyhave
not.Andwhilecarrierpricingwillinfluencetherateofgrowth,theundeniabletrajectoryfor
demandisup.ThatisreflectedintheCiscoVNI2017projectionthatCanadianswouldoffload
75percentoftheirmobiledatatraffictoWi-Fiby2021.ImprovementsinWi-Fi,anditsability
20TheVNIlooksathowWi-FiisbeingusedforbothInternettrafficandmoregenerally,foralltypesofIPtraffic.Wi-Firepresented57.6percentofInternettrafficand40percentofIPtraffic.By2020,Wi-Fiwillrepresent52percentofIPtraffic.http://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/solutions/service-provider/vni-forecast-highlights.html#21Consultationat5(citingCiscodatathatpublicandhomehotspotswillincrease13-foldfrom2015to2020,orfrom0.8millionto10.2million).
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tohandlebothhighervideovolumesanddensityinusersanddevicesthatwillbeservicedby
anaccesspoint,willalsocontinuetosupporttheupwarddemandtrajectoryastheuser
experienceimproves.
Theeconomicstudiesreviewedinthiscommentforthemostpartpresentbenefitsin
termsofsnapshotsintime,anddemonstratelargeeconomicbenefits.Forexample,Katz
(2014)calculatesatotaleconomicvalueofWi-Fiin2013of$222billionfortheUSandaGDP
growthof$6.7billion.WithWi-FibecomingmoreimportanttotheInternetecosystem,those
estimateswould,ifmadetoday,likelybelarger.PlumConsulting(2013)foundanetpresent
valuetoEuropeansof€12.3billionsimplybyallocatingacontinuousblockofspectrumfor
unlicensed.Thanki(2014)andPlum(2016)lookedatpositiveeconomicbenefitstohouseholds
arisingfromunlicenseduse.Plumincludesaprojectionthrough2023forEuropeestimatinga
€23billionnetbenefittohouseholds.
Offloadingincreasesconsumptionofbroadbandandreducescarriercostin
promulgatingcellsites.BothThanki(2014)andEC/DGCommunicationsNetworks,Content,and
Technology(2013)findlargesavings,withthelatterstudynotingsavingsof€15-50billionper
countryfromoffloading.IntheabsenceofWi-Fi,therewouldeitherbelessconnectivity
becauseaddedcellswouldnotbebuilt,ormuchhighercarriercostifcellsiteswereusedto
remedy100percentofdemandpressures.
Ofcourse,thesestudiesdonotanswerthenarrowquestionposedintheconsultation
aboutthebenefitsofallowingincreasedunlicensedaccesstospectruminCanadaat5150-5250
MHzthroughhigherpowerlevels.InCisco’sview,attemptstoallocatetheseeconomicbenefits
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toimprovementsinunlicensedaccessat5150-5250MHzareunnecessary.Whatthesestudies
standforisthesubstantialbodyofeconomicevidencethatunlicensedtechnologiesmakean
enormouslyvaluablecontributiontonationaleconomiesandbenefitconsumers,bothfrom
improvedconnectivityandlowercosttomobileservicesgenerally.Itlogicallyfollowsthat
improvingaccesstospectrumforunlicensedtechnologiesimprovesuponthebenefitsalready
accruingtoCanadianconsumersfromtheuseofWi-Fi.ISEDshouldbeconfidentinmaking
suchafinding.
Assummarizedinthetechnologydiscussionabove,current5GHzallocationsdoapoor
joboflettingCanadianconsumersandbusinessesutilizecurrentgenerationunlicensed
technology.Onlyfive80MHzchannelsareavailable–oneofwhichisrestrictedtoindooruse
andverylowpower.No160MHzwidechannelisavailable.GiventhedemandforWi-Fiand
thebroadeconomicbenefitsofmaximizingtheutilizationofunlicensedtechnologies,ISED
shouldacttoimprovetherulesfor5150-5250MHzimmediately.Delayuntilsometimeafter
WRC-19isamissedopportunity.NotonlywouldISEDbeturningablindeyetoconsumer
preferenceforWi-Fi,butrealeconomicbenefitswouldbeforegone.Forthatreason,ISED
shouldactnow.
V. IssueB:Anoutdoorantennamaskandexclusionzoneswillprotectsatellite
incumbents
Theconsultationdocumentproposesthatshouldtheregulationschangeforthe5150-
5250MHzbandtoallowhigherpowereddevicesoutdoors,itwillbenecessarytorequirethose
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devicestosupportanelevationmasktoprotectsatelliteuseoftheband.22Basedonthe
discussionabove,Ciscobelievesthatusinganantennaelevationmasktoprotectsatellitesfrom
outdoorunlicensedtransmissionsisreasonableandwillprotectcurrentandfuturesatellite
systems.IntheUSexperience,therewasunanimousagreementamongallparties–including
thesatelliteincumbent-thatsuchanapproachwouldprotectsatellites.IntheUStodatethere
havebeennoissueswiththeUSrules,whichhavebeenavailablesince2014.CiscourgesISED
toadoptthesameapproachastheUSrule,namelytospecifytheelevationtobeprotectedand
allowmanufacturerstomeettherequirements.Equipmentthatmeetstheelevationmask
requirementsisavailabletoday,andbyauthorizingitsusewithhigherpowers,ISEDwillbe
makingasignificantstepforwardinimprovingunlicensedaccesstospectrum.
VI. IssueC:AregulatoryregimeforoutdoorWi-Fideploymentsinthebandwill
helpISEDprotectexistingandfutureservicesintheband
TheconsultationdocumentreviewedvariousapproachestoregulateHPODs.Thefirst
approachmightbeadetailedlicenseexemptregimespecifictoHPODs.23Theconsultation
22Consultationat6.Inaddition,theproposalalsoreferencestheneedfortheuseofexclusionzonestoprotectexistingandfuturesatelliteearthstations,andnotesthatoneearthstationidentifiedsofarcouldbeprotectedwithanexclusionzoneof25kilometers.Consultationat4,6.Theconsultationstatesthatexclusionzonesmighthavetobeadjustedgoingforwarddependinguponfuturesatelliteearthstations.Inprinciple,Ciscohasnoobjectiontotheuseofexclusionzonestoprotectsatelliteearthstations,particularlyinabandsuchasthisonewheretherearerelativelyfewearthstationstoprotect.However,CisconotesthatISEDhasofferedverylittledataaboutthenumberofearthstationsthatareorwouldbesubjecttoexclusionzones,andwhetherthosezoneswouldpreventtheuseof5150-5250MHzinurbanareas.Intheabsenceoffulldata,Ciscobelievesthattheremaybeotherless-intrusivepolicyoptionsthatcouldpotentiallybeconsidered.23Consultationat6-7.
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documentnotesthatextensivenewtextdevelopmentintheregulationswouldbetime
consuming,andwouldlikelydelaytheintroductionofHPODsuntiladatesubsequenttothe
WorldRadioConference2019.Thesecondapproachdiscussedistoadoptaformofalicense
regime.Thedocumentnotesthatthis,too,isasignificantdeparturefromexistingregulation
andcreateshigheradministrativeburdensonHPODoperators.Thedocumentalsostatesthat
toreduceadministrativeburdens,licensesmightonlybeavailableto“radiocommunication
serviceproviders.”Finally,theconsultationdocumentnotesthatISEDcouldsimplydefer
actionuntilafterWRC-19aspartofitspost-WRC-19examinationofCanadianspectrumand
radiopoliciesgenerally.
InCisco’sview,optionsthatdelaythebenefitsoftoday’sunlicensedtechnologiesto
consumersandbusinessesarebestavoided.Suchapproachesdeferthebenefitsthatthe
economyandconsumerscouldbereceivingfromimprovedaccesstounlicensedtechnologies
andspecifically,Wi-Fi.Forthatreason,theoptionofdevelopinganextensivenewlicense
exemptregimeforHPODsshouldbediscarded,asshouldtheoptionofwaitinguntilafterWRC-
19.ISEDshouldactassoonaspossibletoimproveaccesstospectrumat5150-5250MHz.
CiscorecommendsthatISEDembraceanapproachthatissimilartotheUSFCC’s
decisionswithrespecttooutdoorutilizationofthebandathigherpower.Specifically,we
recommendastreamlinedregistrationrequirementfornetworkoperatorsthataredeployinga
largenumberofoutdooraccesspointsusingthehigherpowerandantennamask.The
registrationcouldbeassimpleasalettertothedocketacknowledgingthatthenetwork
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operatorisdeployingmorethanaspecifiednumberofoutdooraccesspointsutilizingtheband,
andprovidingapointofcontactshouldISEDneedtocontacttheoperatorinthefuture.Tothe
extentanallegationofsatelliteinterferencearisesinthefuture(whichwedonotbelievewill
occur),theregulatorisbenefitedbyknowingwhichnetworkoperatorsarefacilitatingoutdoor
usebydeployingaccesspoints.Thenetworkoperators,inturn,willknowwhatequipmentthey
havedeployed,wheretheyhavedeployedit,andcanreachouttomanufacturersasnecessary.
ThisisareasonablewayforISEDtorespondpromptlytointerferenceallegationsshouldthey
arise.
Inaddition,CiscourgesISEDtomakewhateversystemitadoptsavailabletoallcomers,
andnottorestricttheregimetoradiocommunicationserviceproviders.Forexample,large
enterpriseswithextensiveoutdoorfacilities(e.g.,ports,mines)shouldbeallowedtotake
advantageofimprovedaccesstospectrumunderthenewrules.Giventheimportanceofthis
spectrumtomeetrisingdemand,andtodelivereconomicbenefits,enterpriseoperatorsshould
notbeexcludedbecausetheyarenotofferingservicetothepublic.
Otherthanincreasingthepowerlevelsandimposinganoutdoorantennamask,ISED
shouldnotreviseRSS-247forHPODs,suchascreatingacompletelynewregulatorystructure
governingHPODs.Wefurtherrecommendagainstthecreationofeligibilityrequirementsfor
usingtheband.Norwouldwerecommendanyotherconditionsapplytouseoftheband.
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VII. ISEDshouldrelaxrulesforindooruseofWi-Fitoallowconductedpowerupto1W
Intheconsultation,ISEDstatesthattheexistingequipmentstandardsinRSS-247would
continuetoapplytodevicesdesignedforindooruse.24Asaresult,indoordeviceswould
continuetooperateat200mW.InCisco’sview,thisoutcomerepresentsamissedopportunity.
CiscourgesISEDtoreformitsrulesforindooroperationstoallowdevicestooperateupto1W
conductedpower.
GiventhesharpincreaseindemandthathasoccurredforWi-Fisince2005,the
continuingforecastdemandgrowthdiscussedabove,theeconomicbenefitsandtechnological
imperatives,ISEDshoulduseeveryopportunitytomaximizetheutilityof5GHzspectrumfor
consumersandbusinesses.WhileWi-Fienablesspectrumre-usebytransmittingatrelatively
lowpower,the200mWpowerlevelsthatcurrentlyapplyto5150-5250MHzindoorusefailto
deliveragooduserexperience.Regulatoryrulesthatallowdevicestooperateathigherpowers
indoors(masterdevicesat1Wconducted+6dBigainantennaor4WEIRP,andclientdevicesat
250mW+6dBigainantennaor1WEIRP)enableuserstotakefulladvantageofcurrentWi-Fi
capabilitiesintheirhomesandplacesofbusiness.Specifically,thesehigherpowershelpradio
signalspenetrateinteriorwallconstruction,andmultipleinteriorwalls.Intheconsumer’scase,
thisenablesbetterin-homereceptionforWi-Fi,whichisnowusedforstreamingvideo,video
chat,socialmediaandmuchmore.Inthecaseofbusinesses,improvedpowerenablesmore
efficientnetworkingopportunitieswithbettercoveragetosupportanincreasingarrayofuse
24Consultationat6.
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cases.ItshouldbenotedthatinthecaseofthemoreadvancedWi-Fienterprisenetworking
equipment,powerisdynamicallycontrolledtoensurecoverage,meaningthatalltransmitters
wouldrarelybeoperatingatthemaximumpowerallowedunderregulation.
Makingthisadjustmenttoindoorregulationsaddstotheeconomicandconsumer
benefitsthatwillaccruefromtheproposedchangestooutdoorregulations.Infact,asWi-Fi
continuestobemuchmoreofanindoortechnologythananoutdoorone,thebenefitstobe
gainedfromadjustingtheindoorrulesarelogicallygreater.
Finally,itisworthnotingthatwhenthisadjustmenttotheUSruleswasmadein2014,
therewasnoobjectionfromtheincumbentsatelliteoperator.Simplyput,indoordevices
operateunderaroof,androofingmaterialattenuatesthesignal.Ineffect,theroofoperatesas
theantennamask,protectingthesatellitesfromRLANenergywhentheyareoverhead.
VIII. ConclusionCiscorecommendsthatISEDmovetoadecisioninthisconsultationassoonaspossible.
Inourview,deferringadecisiononoutdoorHPODoperationin5150-5250MHzdenies
consumersandbusinessthebenefitsofcurrentlyavailabletechnology,andmissesan
opportunityfortheCanadianeconomytogrow.Similarly,werespectfullyrequestthatISED
considerrelaxingtherulesforindooroperationinthebandaswell.
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Respectfullysubmitted, CiscoSystems,Inc. By: CathyWorden Director,GovernmentAffairs CiscoSystems,Inc. 340AlbertStreet,Suite1710
ConstitutionSquareTowerIIIOttawa,OntarioK1R7Y6 16137887293
MaryL.BrownSeniorDirector,GovernmentAffairsCiscoSystems,Inc.601PennsylvaniaAve.NWSuite9NorthWashingtonDC2000412023542923 DavidCaseTechnicalLeader,Services4125HighlanderParkwaySuite100RichfieldOhioUSA4428613305232139davecase@cisco.com