Letter to Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission - Murkowski Questions FCC Proposal to Open 6 GHz Spectrum

Letter

Dear Chairman Pai:

I am concerned that at a time when the burden on utilities and emergency responders
should be reduced in order to devote greater resources to their coronavirus response, the FederalCommunications Commission (FCC) is instead forcing them to allocate time and resources to a rulemaking on the 6 GHz spectrum. Unlike the national crisis we are currently facing, the proposed FCC rule is neither timely nor necessary.

Our water, electricity, and natural gas utilities cannot spare the resources to deal with a
complex proposal from the FCC that could dramatically change the reliability of their essential
communications during an emergency, nor can police and fire departments. In addition to
contending with the coronavirus pandemic, our nation is entering peak extreme weather season
where the electric sector must devote sufficient resources to mitigating the damages from natural hazards such as wildfires and hurricanes.

It took you seven months to reply to my June 14, 2019, letter on the importance of the 6
GHz spectrum to utilities and emergency responders. Regrettably, your response did not address
my questions about how the FCC has been cooperating with regulators and experts in the energy
industry to ensure that this FCC proposal will not impact essential communications. I can only
assume that the lack of response is because the FCC has failed to adequately cooperate or consult with these entities.

For decades, the 6 GHz band has proven to be an essential and reliable means for utilities
and emergency responders to provide high-speed communications. Allowing unlicensed devices
to occupy the same band as mission-critical utility and emergency response communications
could cause harmful interference that is detrimental to network reliability. Secure communication is a mission critical function for the energy industry and must be protected to ensure a reliable, resilient electric grid.

I request that the FCC delay further consideration of this rule until (1) our nation recovers
from the current crisis we are facing, and (2) the FCC engages in a meaningful way with the
Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Electric Power Research
Institute, and other experts in essential communications within the energy industry.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Source