The filing was really meant to point out to the FCC and the larger community in Washington, D.C., that with the infrastructure bill up in the air, there are still things that can be done to close the digital divide, according to Joe Lockhart, co-chair of the coalition. RELATED: Massive MIMO, adaptive beam forming spiff up 12 GHz band And while the FCC’s majority usually reflects the party of the president, it’s currently 2:2, with Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel, the acting chair, and Geoffrey Starks, and Republicans Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington. There’s discussion in Washington, D.C., about closing the broadband gap, and it’s largely bipartisan both parties agree something needs to be done. Therefore, it’s time for the relevant bureaus at the commission to review the technical data and make their recommendations, the group added. The FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to expand the 12 GHz band for two-way terrestrial services has already gone through the public notice and comment period, “with ample opportunity for parties to weigh in and share data,” the coalition said.
