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In my most recent post on the filed FCC Transactions for February 2017 there were over 275 call signs that were assigned to new licensees and nearly 100 call signs that were leased. In an industry driven by spectrum, these changes affect the operations for every wireless carrier, they change site interference, and they affect the channels that are programmed into private repeaters and DAS systems.
So how can your company stay on top of the changes that may affect your markets. Allnet Insights' publishes a National Carrier Spectrum Depth Report which details the spectrum held by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Dish, and USCellular in the Top 100 Cellular Market Areas (CMA). We report both the spectrum that each carrier currently holds (Current Holdings) and the spectrum they will hold in the future (Future Holdings) based on pending FCC transactions. Reporting on both current and future holdings enables Allnet Insights' to also report on the changes between current and future holdings which highlight the location and quantity of spectrum that is changing hands.
Below is a screenshot of the 11th through the 25th most populated CMA markets in our February 2017 report. This highlights the markets where the national carriers are either increasing or decreasing their spectrum holdings. In the Excel report you can reveal specific holdings by frequency bands that are changing but for this post, we will stay with the total spectrum view. From this view, you can see that in San Diego, T-Mobile is increasing their held spectrum by 5MHz while AT&T is decreasing their held spectrum by 5MHz. The reverse is happening in the Sacramento CMA.
We also highlight the spectrum that is changing hands in our Web Spectrum Viewer. In the Spectrum Grid menu, we lower case the 3 letter carrier code to indicate that the carrier ownership is changing from the current to the future. Looking at the same San Diego market (San Diego County) you can see (tmo) on the PCS B6 spectrum. Since this screen shot is of the Future Holdings, T-Mobile is will control this spectrum in the future.
Future:
The screen shot below is of the San Diego County Current Holdings. (att) in the PCS B6 column indicates that AT&T is the current operator of the B6 channel.
Current:
For Sacramento (Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties), we can see that AT&T will be the future operator of the PCS B11 channel and that T-Mobile will be the carrier giving up the PCS B11 channel.
Future:
Current:
My last example is in Tucson, AZ. From the National Carriers Report we can see that T-Mobile is increasing their held spectrum by 10MHz.
From the Web Spectrum Viewer, it is clear that T-Mobile is receiving the PCS A10 and A11 channels from Commnet (cmm).
Future:
Current:
Today, we have released Allnet's Insights' March 2017 Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. Below are the transactions that have been updated by the FCC from February 1st to February 28th and are included in our update.
The details for all of the below transactions are available by subscribing to Allnet Insights' Web Tool - Basic Module. Our Web Tool provides spectrum transaction detail, a spectrum grid of spectrum owners at a county level, and spectrum database covering all mobile carrier frequencies from 600MHz to 2.5 GHz.
Granted Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Granted Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
New Pending Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Pending Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
As you can see below, a section of I-10 only has Verizon crowd-sourced data. Specific to this area, T-Mobile won't have any crowd-sourced data because their customers only have access to voice roaming, no data for several large stretches of I-10.
Today, we have released Allnet's Insights' February 2017 Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. Below are the transactions that have been updated by the FCC from January 1 to January 31 and are included in our update.
The details for all of the below transactions are available by subscribing to Allnet Insights' Web Tool - Basic Module. Our Web Tool provides spectrum transaction detail, a spectrum grid of spectrum owners at a county level, and spectrum database covering all mobile carrier frequencies from 700MHz to 2.5 GHz.
Granted Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Granted Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
New Pending Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Pending Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
On January 12th, the FCC released an enforcement action against Straightpath for misrepresenting the construction status of many of their licenses. As part of this enforcement action, the FCC required Straightpath to cancel 195 licenses. 103 of these licenses were Fixed Point to Point Microwave licenses and the remainder were 39 GHz Economic Area market licenses. Below is a listing of the cancel EA market licenses.
Allnet Insights has updated our Millimeter Wave - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool to reflect these canceled licenses. We have compiled a listing of the remaining licenses in Straightpath's portfolio along with the number of MHz-POPs associated with each license.
Email us at info@allnetinsights.com if you would like a copy of the report. You will receive the report at the conclusion of the 30 minutes Webex demo of our Millimeter Wave - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool.
Straightpath Canceled Licenses:
Today, we have released Allnet's Insights' January 2017 Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. Below are the transactions that have been updated by the FCC from December 1 to December 31 and are included in our update.
The details for all of the below transactions are available by subscribing to Allnet Insights' Web Tool - Basic Module. Our Web Tool provides spectrum transaction detail, a spectrum grid of spectrum owners at a county level, and spectrum database covering all mobile carrier frequencies from 700MHz to 2.5 GHz.
Granted Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Granted Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
New Pending Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Pending Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
In this blog post I am going to explore how Sprint can configure their PCS spectrum for LTE using Allnet Insights' Mobile Carrier Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. As a review Sprint's initial LTE deployment utilized a 5 MHz PCS G Block channel. In the map below I have determined the maximum channel size for spectrum that is contiguous with Sprint's initial LTE channel. In Seattle, Sprint can expand their initial channel to a 10MHz LTE channel while in Las Vegas Sprint can expand their initial channel to a 20MHz channel.
Looking at the Las Vegas market area with Allnet Insights' Spectrum Grid Module, you can see the specific channels Sprint controls in each county. For Clark County, Sprint controls all of the C block channels along with the G block. Unfortunately for Sprint, they can't use the entire 20MHz for LTE since they still need PCS spectrum for their CDMA voice service. In Esmeralda County Sprint has 15MHz of spectrum including the G block that should be configured for LTE with 10MHz of the A block channels available for CDMA voice.
The map below details the largest channel size of PCS spectrum that Sprint controls aside from the spectrum contiguous with the G block. This is the spectrum that can be shared with CDMA voice and could also be deployed in Sprint's FDD-LTE carrier aggregation scheme.
Today, we have released Allnet's Insights' December 2016 Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. Below are the transactions that have been updated by the FCC from November 1 to November 30 and are included in our update.
The details for all of the below transactions are available by subscribing to Allnet Insights' Web Tool - Basic Module. Our Web Tool provides spectrum transaction detail, a spectrum grid of spectrum owners at a county level, and spectrum database covering all mobile carrier frequencies from 700MHz to 2.5 GHz.
Granted Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Granted Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
New Pending Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Pending Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
In an earlier post, I discussed the ability for Sprint to utilize the Mid-Band Segment of their 2.5GHz spectrum band for LTE. Previously, I had compiled from FCC filings, the BTA markets where video (the original service licensed in the 2.5 GHz band) is still operating. Since the April 2016 post, Allnet Insights' has investigated below the BTA market level to determine the specific licenses that are still broadcasting video. This can be seen in Allnet Insights' Web Spectrum Viewer, in the Spectrum Grid menu.
In the Web Spectrum Viewer, we use the MVU code instead of a typical carrier code (e.g. VZW, SPR, TMO, or ATT) to designate the licenses that are still broadcasting video. In the Los Angeles CMA market, video is operating on all of the mid-band channels (A4, B4, C4, D4, F4, and E4) for both Los Angeles county, and Orange county. Sprint can utilize the entire MBS for LTE in the Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Los Angeles CMA:
In the Chicago CMA the G4 channel is used in all 6 counties and the E4 channel is used for video in 3 counties.
Chicago CMA:
In the New York CMA, the D4 channel and G4 channel are available for LTE deployment across all but one county in the New York CMA, but the other channels are largely unavailable in the New York CMA.
New York CMA:
What is important to Sprint is the size of the LTE channel or channels that they can create using the Mid-band channels. Using the data from Allnet Insights' Spectrum Grid, we total the number of contiguous channels, rounding to the 3GPP LTE channel sizes of 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. The map below displays the total MHz of the LTE channels that Sprint can create in the Mid-band for each county.
Today, we have released Allnet's Insights' November 2016 Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. Below are the transactions that have been updated by the FCC from October 1 to October 31 and are included in our update.
The details for all of the below transactions are available by subscribing to Allnet Insights' Web Tool - Basic Module. Our Web Tool provides spectrum transaction detail, a spectrum grid of spectrum owners at a county level, and spectrum database covering all mobile carrier frequencies from 700MHz to 2.5 GHz.
Granted Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Granted Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
New Pending Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Pending Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
Our previous post examined T-Mobile's specific spectrum ownership in the AWS-3 frequency band. This post will look at T-Mobile's LTE capability for LTE Band Class 66 which encompasses all of the AWS-1 band along with the AWS-3 duplex channels (G, H, I, and J Blocks). The LTE Channel Analysis Module in Spektrum Metrics Insights' Mobile Carrier Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool evaluates each carrier's contiguous spectrum holdings across both of these bands to determine the largest LTE channel available (up to 20MHz). In the chart below you can see how T-Mobile's spectrum holdings in the AWS1 band and AWS3 band vary by county. For the first 3 counties, T-Mobile can deploy a 20MHz LTE channel in 25MHz of spectrum. Their AWS3 H Block channel would not initially be deployed. In the final 3 counties, T-Mobile has only deployed a 15MHz LTE channel in the AWS1 spectrum. Now with the addition of the AWS3 spectrum they can deploy a 20MHz LTE channel in 25MHz of spectrum.
Spectrum Grid Module:
Looking at the LTE Channel Analysis Module, you can see the size of the LTE channels that are available in each county.
LTE Channel Analysis Module:
Below we have mapped the largest LTE channel that T-Mobile can deploy using their joint AWS1/AWS3 spectrum.
The final map in this post indicates the counties where T-Mobile is able to increase the size of their initial AWS LTE channel by adding their Band Class 66 AWS-3 spectrum.
With Fierce Wireless' recent article highlighting T-Mobile's inclusion of LTE Band Class 66 in their LG V20 handset, we decided to dig into the markets where T-Mobile has AWS-3 spectrum and try to understand how it will be deployed for LTE. The Spectrum Blocks map below indicates the counties where T-Mobile controls AWS-3 spectrum along with the specific blocks they control. The magenta areas indicate that T-Mobile controls the G, H, and I blocks of AWS-3 spectrum.
Below is band configuration guide from the FCC which indicates the layout of the individual channels. The AWS-3 G channel is adjacent to the AWS-1 F channel.
The channel size map below indicates the largest LTE channel size (5x5, 10x10, or 15x15) that could be deployed using only T-Mobile's AWS-3 spectrum.
The last map depicts the counties where T-Mobile's AWS-3 spectrum is contiguous with their existing LTE deployed in the AWS-1 spectrum. These are areas where T-Mobile could increase the LTE channel size if they haven't already their desire wide band LTE values of 15 or 20MHz channel
To develop these maps, we utilized several analysis modules within Allnet Insights' Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. First we utilized the Spectrum Grid Analysis Module to confirm the channel alignment for both the AWS-1 and AWS-3 frequency bands. For the AWS-1 and AWS-3 spectrum blocks the channels are lettered consistently from A to J (lowest frequency to highest frequency). This is critical to understand what channels are adjacent to each other. The lettering of channels in most of the mobile carrier frequency bands does not straightforward like the AWS-1 and AWS-2 frequency blocks.
Below is a portion of our Spectrum Grid for the New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA counties.
Once we confirmed that what channels are adjacent to the AWS-1 block, we utilized the Channel Blocks Analysis Module to determine on a county by county basis, whether T-Mobile owned the spectrum adjacent to the AWS-3 frequencies (AWS-1 F Block) and whether they also owned contiguous spectrum adjacent to the AWS-1 F Block (either G, G and H, or G, H, and I). The markets where T-Mobile controls the J channel, they don't control the I channel so the J channel won't be contiguous to any of their existing spectrum.
In the example below, I have highlighted 3 counties in the Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX CMA where the addition of the AWS-3 G channel will allow T-Mobile to expand their LTE channel from 15MHz to 20MHz. The values in each of the Channel Blocks columns represent the spectrum depth for each of those channels held by T-Mobile. Each of these spectrum depth values need to be cut in half to represent the LTE channel size. This is because 1/2 of each channel's spectrum is used for the cell site's transmitting (downlink) LTE channel and the other 1/2 is used for the cell site's receiving (uplink) LTE channel.
The shutdown of the FCC Spectrum Dashboard leaves a large void in user friendly access to FCC Spectrum Ownership Data as we illustrated in our FCC Spectrum Dashboard - The Final Episode Blog. A much better solution is the Spectrum Ownership View and Spectrum Database in Allnet's Web - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool.
Once logged into the web site, the Spectrum Grid view for the entire country is seen.
Spectrum Grid:
The Band menu indicates that we are looking mid-band spectrum ownership which includes PCS. Using region to select CO_Denver County, provides a detail view of the mid-band spectrum ownership for all carriers in Denver County. From this view, you can see that Sprint controls the first 10 MHz of the A block spectrum and AT&T controls the remaining 5 MHz of the A block spectrum.
Clicking on the first Sprint cell, allows the user to extract the following details about that licenses.
With this detailed view, the call sign (KNLF243) and the current licensee (Wirelessco, L.P.) are both apparent. When building our spectrum database, we not only combined the licensee and lease information, which were seperate and unmatched in the FCC Spectrum Dashboard, but will also indicate the current operator for each block of spectrum as well as the future operator, if the spectrum is subject to a pending transaction.
The Web - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool module that most parallels the FCC Spectrum Dashboard in our Database Query Tool. The database query tool allows the user to identify individual or groups of licenses that meet many different criteria, such as, frequency band, market, licensee name, state, or county.
Spectrum Database Queries:
The other modules contained in Allnet's Web - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool exceed the FCC Spectrum Dashboard scope.
The Transactions Module details all of the FCC filed transactions for the mobile carrier and millimeter wave frequency bands. Each application is listed and selecting the details button, reveals the status of each application and which call signs, counties, markets, and frequency blocks are included.
Transactions Module:
The last module details each of the licensee names and how they map to the commonly known carrier names.
Carriers Module:
Mid-August, the FCC updated the language on their only user friendly interface for US Wireless spectrum ownership, the FCC Spectrum Dashboard. The wording change, placed in the middle of the page in red letters, reinforced what we indicated in our R.I.P. FCC Dashboard from August 2015. The Spectrum Dashboard is NOT being updated. Data in the Spectrum Dashboard was last updated on July 7, 2014.
So what are your options now to access spectrum ownership data for US licenses. The FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) exists for your license by license queries as long as you know frequency band, channel, and the original market structure underwhich the spectrum was auction. For example, if you wanted to find the PCS band A channel licensee for Denver County, CO, you would perform a market search starting at this FCC Market Search Site in ULS. You will select CW - PCS Broadband for the Radio Service Code and you need to remember the the PCS Band A channels were originally auctioned at MTA licenses. So now select, MTA for Market Type and select MTA022 for Denver. Also, select Channel Block A. If you are looking for PCS C licenses, you would use the BTA Market Type and AWS-3 G block channels would use the CMA market, for example.
Submitting the query yields the results below:
So now you have a list of the licensees and lessees for the Denver MTA PCS channel A. How are you going to determine which carrier controls the license for the A block channel in Denver. You now need to investigate each call sign. Click on the underlined callsign (WQKN957) if you are following my example. On the next displayed screen, select the Market Menu. Now you are able to see the counties and the frequencies included in that callsign.
So what you can see from this screen shot of the results is that this call sign only includes a 5x5 MHz slice of the A block spectrum, in a limited number of counties primarily outside of the Denver metro area.
So if you are saying there has to be a better solution, there is!!!
Spectrum Ownership Viewer and Spectrum Database
Today, we have released Allnet's October 2016 Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. Below are the transactions that have been updated by the FCC from September 1 to September 30 and are included in our update.
The details for all of the below transactions are available by subscribing to Allnet's Web Tool - Basic Module. Our Web Tool provides spectrum transaction detail, a spectrum grid of spectrum owners at a county level, and spectrum database covering all mobile carrier frequencies from 700MHz to 2.5 GHz.
Granted Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Granted Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
New Pending Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee):
Pending Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
With this blog post, we are highlighting the Change in Spectrum Holdings feature of our National Carriers - Spectrum Holdings reports. In this report, we detail the spectrum holdings for each of the national carriers, including Dish, and USCellular. The first segment of the report details each carrier's future holdings, tracking the effects of all pending FCC transactions. The second segment of the report details each carrier's current spectrum holdings. Using each of these segments, we provide a Change in Spectrum Holdings segment which highlights the CMA markets where a carrier's spectrum holding are increasing (+) or decreasing (-) because of filed FCC transactions.
In the view above, from August 2016, you can see the summary details for the spectrum additions and subtractions for each of the national wireless carriers. This view highlights a spectrum trade between Sprint and T-Mobile in the Cleveland market (5 MHz) as well as the T-Mobile's pending 700MHz A-Block transactions.
The view above details the band classifications (low, mid, or high) and the frequency band that contribute to T-Mobile's 12 MHz increase in spectrum. The August 2016 report concludes that the transactions for all of the listed market names are still pending.
Now looking at the September 2016, the Allnet's Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool has updated the transactions that were consummated during August 2016. The only pending 700MHz - A Block transaction is T-Mobile's purchase of Laser in Chicago, IL.
For the cost of a monthly subscription to the National Carrier - Spectrum Depth Reports ($495/mo), the monthly effect of pending and closed transaction can be seen and evaluated.
For this edition of "How Does Our Data Compare?" we are illustrating how our data compares to a Spectrum Chart that Sprint shared with Fierce Wireless at CTIA 2016. What Sprint is illustrating each of the national carriers average spectrum holdings in each in each frequency band. 
We arrive at the Nationwide average by applying a population-weighted average to our spectrum data that is aggregated at a county-level. As you can see, we hit each carriers spectrum depth exactly except for Sprint's EBS/BRS data which we only miss by 2 MHz. With our October 2016 Version of our Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool, we are including the ability to chart eight carriers, detailing the average spectrum holdings either by Frequency Band or Band Classification. You can conduct side by side analysis for nearly 1900 US Wireless Carriers. In the chart below you can see the National Averages for spectrum held by the FCC. This total details the AWS-3 and 600 MHz spectrum that will be auctioned by the FCC.
Our National Spectrum by Band Classification chart combines the values for each of the frequency bands into the Low, Mid, or High Band Classifications.
In addition to the National Spectrum values and charts, Allnet's Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool provides market-level (CMA, EA, PEA), state-level, and county-level reports for 8 carriers side by side.
Today we have released Allnet's September 2016 Mobile Carrier - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool. Below are the transactions that have been updated by the FCC from August 1st to August 31st and are included in our update.
During August the following noteworthy transactions were completed:
Granted Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee)
Granted Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
New Pending Assignments (Assigning Ownership from Assignor to Assignee)
Pending Leases (Leased to Assignee from Assignor):
For this blog post I am going to use some of the new features of the Millimeter Wave - Spectrum Ownership Analysis Tool, to break down Verizon's agreement to lease XO's Millimeter Wave Spectrum.
First of all, our data source for this analysis is the Future Holdings data which will reflect Verizon's future lease of XO's spectrum. Allnet's CMA Market Analysis Module details Verizon's spectrum holdings for each of the Top 20 CMA markets (below). From this analysis it is easy to see the markets where Verizon will have significant LMDS A (28 GHz) and LMDS B (31 GHz) spectrum. In addition, markets with out spectrum (Phoenix) and the limited markets with 39 GHz spectrum are easily identified.
CMA Market Analysis:
Next we will look at the State & National Analysis Module to determine the average spectrum depth across the Nation or at a State Level. Looking at the National Average Spectrum Depth, we can see that Verizon averages 576 MHz of millimeter wave spectrum with 511 MHz of that being LMDS A spectrum, 53 MHz being LMDS B spectrum and 12 MHz being 39 GHz spectrum.
State & National Analysis Module:
Last we will look at how many MHz-POPs are included and how they are distributed between each of the frequency blocks. Allnet's MHz-POPs Analysis Module clearly details that this transaction would provide Verizon over 180 billion MHz-POPs. 158 billion of those MHz-POPs are from the LMDS A frequency band, 16 billion from the LMDS B frequency band, and nearly 4 billion from the 39 GHz frequency band.
MHz-POPs Analysis Module:
