Dish Sends FCC An Angry Message On Their AWS-4 Spectrum Rules

It's no secret that groups like Dish Network aren't always happy about the rules they've got to follow when it comes to the FCC, and today it's become extra apparent that Dish isn't afraid to dish, as it were, on their frustrations. The FCC has issued a ruling on Dish to allow them to build an LTE Advanced mobile network in its MSS spectrum just recently, biut technical rules inside this proposition have limited up to 5MHz of Dish's spectrum in the meantime. Dish has responded with a message saying that the FCC's proposition is "deeply flawed."

This message makes it clear the Dish believes that the rules "could add years to a process that has already lasted 20 months". This wouldn't be favorable to a company looking to get their network up and running as quickly as possible, of course, especially in the face of a possible roll-out with Google in the wings – read more about that in a post from earlier this week. This proposition and set of rules is separate from an announcement from Dish that they'd be auctioning the H Block of PCS spectrum starting in 2013, with Sprint making it clear that they want said tech for their fledgeling LTE network.

Dish currently believes that the ruling issued by the FCC here in the autumn of 2013 will hinder their ability to jump into the business:

"While the FCC would grant full terrestrial rights, its proposal to lower our power and emissions levels could cripple our ability to enter the business. ... Until we know how to manage issues like interference from the H Block, we may have to put on hold activities like radio design and network build out while we wait for the H Block rulemaking and another 3GPP process to be completed." – Dish Executive Vice President and General Counsel R. Stanton Dodge

The FCC currently hasn't provided specific details on the proposals and the five-member commission must still vote to put them all into action. The next open meeting for the FCC is set for November 30th where they'll more than likely move forward on this set of measures. Dish attained approval from the FCC in March to gain access to mobile satellite spectrum – 40 MHz of MSS S-band spectrum in the 2 GHz band, to be precise. This spectrum was renamed AWS-4 by the FCC, and Dish has made it clear that they intend on launching their own LTE advanced network on the spectrum by 2016 if the FCC allows them terrestrial services.

[via Fierce Wireless]