The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether to open up the 12 GHz band — spectrum currently used by satellite and cable service providers — for wireless use.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Dec. 29 he has circulated a draft proposal that, if adopted, would seek comment on whether to allow terrestrial flexible use, including mobile services, in the 12.2 to 12.7 GHz band. The proposal does not draw any tentative conclusions but rather seeks input on possible methods for opening up the band for new uses while still protecting incumbent users.

Currently, the 12 GHz band is primarily used for satellite video and broadband services, as well as multichannel video distribution and data service, or MVDDS.

The proposal comes four years after a group known as the MVDDS 5G Coalition petitioned the FCC to open up a proceeding on the band. The coalition was composed of legacy satellite and cable video operators — including DISH Network Corp., Cass Cable TV Inc. and Go Long Wireless Ltd. — who already held licenses in the 12 GHz band and who wanted to use those licenses to deliver wireless service.

"This 500 MHz of contiguous spectrum is ideally suited for 5G deployments, yet MVDDS licensees are hamstrung in their ability to provide 5G services by outdated Commission rules that impose unnecessarily restrictive technical and operational limitations. The Commission should act now to modernize these rules to enable sharing in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band between incumbent direct-to-home satellite services and mobile broadband services," the group said.

Since then, the issue has come back up several times, with various groups coming out in support or opposition. Among the more vocal opponents of the petition has been SpaceX Inc., which is building a constellation of low-orbit satellites to provide broadband service. In a Dec. 28 filing, SpaceX said opening up the band as proposed by the MVDDS 5G Coalition would pose a "severe risk" to broadband customers in rural areas and other areas unserved by terrestrial networks.

"Claims that this band are suitable for 5G are misguided and inconsistent with the facts. Instead, this band has become one of the most dynamic successes for providing broadband to consumers via next-generation satellite services, including those rural and hard-to-serve customers in urban broadband deserts who have gone unserved for too long," SpaceX said.