Consultation on the Technical and Policy Framework for ...FILE/smse-002...Cisco Systems, Inc....

SMSE-002-17CommentsofCiscoSystems,Inc.

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CanadaGazetteNoticeNo.SMSE-002-17

ConsultationontheTechnicalandPolicyFrameworkforRadioLocalAreaNetworkDevicesOperatinginthe5150-5250MHz

FrequencyBand

PublishedintheCanadaGazette,Part1DatedJanuary28,2017

Commentsof

29March2017


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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


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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


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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


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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

[email protected]

MaryL.BrownSeniorDirector,GovernmentAffairsCiscoSystems,Inc.601PennsylvaniaAve.NWSuite9NorthWashingtonDC2000412023542923 DavidCaseTechnicalLeader,Services4125HighlanderParkwaySuite100RichfieldOhioUSA4428613305232139davecase@cisco.com

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