Functional Requirements for the U.S. 6 GHz
Band under the Control of an AFC System
Document WINNF-TS-1014
Version V1.0.0
16 December 2021

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6 GHz Committee Functional Specification WG
Functional Requirements for the U.S. 6 GHz BandWINNF-TS-1014-V1.0.0

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Recipients of this document are requested to submit, with their comments, notification of any
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Table of Contents
TERMS, CONDITIONS & NOTICES ............................................................................................ i
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii
Contributors .....................................................................................................................................v
1 Scope ...........................................................................................................................................6
2 References ...................................................................................................................................6
2.1
Normative References ......................................................................................................6
2.2
Informative References ....................................................................................................8
3 Definitions, Abbreviations and Symbols ....................................................................................8
3.1
Definitions........................................................................................................................8
3.1.1
FCC Definitions .......................................................................................................8
3.1.2
WInnForum Definitions ...........................................................................................9
3.2
Abbreviations .................................................................................................................10
3.3
Symbols..........................................................................................................................10
4 Requirement Organization ........................................................................................................11
5 Standard Power Device General Requirements (DGR) ............................................................12
5.1
Device Registration and Spectrum Inquiry ....................................................................12
5.2
Geolocation Capability ..................................................................................................13
5.3
Use of Proxy ..................................................................................................................14
6 Standard Power Device Security Requirements (DSQ) ............................................................14
6.1
Communication Security ...............................................................................................14
7 AFC System General Requirements (AGR) .............................................................................14
7.1
Device Registration ........................................................................................................14
7.2
Determination of Available Frequencies and the Maximum Permissible Power ..........15
7.3
Storage of Information ...................................................................................................15
7.4
Enforcement Instructions from the Commission ...........................................................16
8 AFC System Security Requirements (ASQ) .............................................................................16
8.1
Communication Security ...............................................................................................16
9 AFC System Incumbent Protection (AIP) ................................................................................16
9.1
Fixed Service Receiver Protection .................................................................................16
9.2
Radio Astronomy Service Protection.............................................................................19
9.3
International Border Protection......................................................................................20
Annex A (Normative): 3GPP Specific Features (Optional) ........................................................21
A.1 Description .....................................................................................................................21
A.1.1 NRU1: 3GPP-defined 6 GHz Channel ..................................................................21
A.2 Use for Operations not impacting Part 15 Subpart E Regulatory Compliance..............21
A.2.1 AFC System General Requirements (AGR) ..........................................................21
A.2.2 Device General Requirements (DGR) ...................................................................21
A.3 Use for Operations that could impact Part 15 Subpart E Regulatory Compliance ........21
Annex B (Normative): IEEE 802.11ax Specific Features (Optional) .........................................22
B.1 Feature Description ........................................................................................................22
Annex C (Informative): AFC System Operator Certification Procedure Information ................23
Annex D (Informative): Revision History...................................................................................24
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List of Tables
Table 1: Requirements Categorization.......................................................................................... 12
Table 2: Reference coordinates and receiver heights above ground level (AGL) ........................ 20

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Contributors
The following individuals made significant contributions to this document:Group Chair: Navin Hathiramani (Nokia)
Editor: Sho Furuichi (Sony)
Other Member Representatives:

Aruba: Chuck Lukaszewski, Stuart Strickland

AT&T: Tom Willis

Cisco: Peter Ecclesine

CommScope: Mark Gibson, Peter Young

Ericsson: Virgil Cimpu, Christopher Richards



Google: Andrew Clegg, Kate Harrison, Yi Hsuan



NCTA: Andy Scott

Qualcomm: Tevfik Yucek



RED Technologies: Thomas Hervier, Meryem Messaoudi, Christophe Le Thierry

Sony: Naotaka Sato, Yusuke Tanaka



WISPA: Fred Goldstein

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Functional Requirements for the U.S. 6 GHz Band under theControl of an AFC System
1

Scope

The scope of this technical specification is to define the functional requirements for the AFC
System, AFC System Operator, Standard Power Access Points, Fixed Client Devices and Proxies
and to specify the necessary standards to enable test and certification procedures for a properly
functioning environment in the 6 GHz band. The functional requirements specified in thisspecification are based on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules governing the useof 6 GHz band subject to the control of an AFC System, which are codified in Part 15 Subpart Eof Title 47 the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations [n.1] adopted in the 2021.
The requirements captured in this specification, outside of the normative annexes, are described ina technology neutral manner and applicable for any unlicensed wireless communication technology
operating in the 6 GHz band under the Part 15 Subpart E rules in the 6 GHz band. This
specification will be further extended to include the following topics in different normative
annexes.
▪

Technology-neutral optional features and the requirements for those features that are notrequired to be tested for FCC certification;▪

Technology-specific optional features and the requirements for those features that are required
to be tested for FCC certification if implemented by an AFC System, a Standard Power Access
Point or a Fixed Client Device; and,▪

Technology-specific optional features and the requirements for those features that are notrequired to be tested for the FCC certification.

The FCC’s Part 15 Subpart E rules will hereafter be referred to as “the FCC Rules”, “the Rules”
or “Part 15” and reference to specific items in the rules will be given in the form of, for example,
15.407(k)(16) if from Part 15.
NOTE 1: Not all the 6 GHz-specific rules are captured in this specification as
this document is not a comprehensive list of requirements for the
implementation or operation of an AFC System, Standard Power
Access Point or Fixed Client Device. AFC System operation,
components and/or devices, as applicable, are expected to comply
with the rules that are not considered in this specification.
NOTE 2: Unless otherwise specified, “Standard Power Access Point” and“Fixed Client Device” are collectively referred to as “Standard Power
Device” in this document.

2

References

2.1 Normative References
The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.

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Title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 15 Subpart E - Unlicensed National
Information Infrastructure Devices, available at:https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-15/subpart-E[n.2]

RFC-2119, “Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels”, March 1997.
Available at: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2119[n.3]

Federal Communications Commission, Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band Report andOrder and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ET Docket No. 18-295; GN Docket
No. 17-183, available at: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-51A1_Rcd.pdf[n.4]

P. Kyösti et al., “WINNER II channel models”, IST-4-027756 WINNER II Deliverable
D1.1.2, 2008, available at: https://www.cept.org/files/8339/winner2%20%20final%20report.pdf[n.5]

NTIA – ITS Irregular Terrain Model (ITM) (Longley-Rice) (20MHz-20 GHz), available
at: http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov/resources/radio-propagation-software/itm/itm.aspx[n.6]

ITU-R P.2108: Prediction of clutter loss (P.2108-0 (06/2017)), available athttps://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-P.2108/en[n.7]

ITU-R P.452: Prediction procedure for the evaluation of interference between stations on
the surface of the Earth at frequencies above about 0.1 GHz (P.452-16 (07/2015)),
available at https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-P.452-16-201507-I/en[n.8]

Federal Communications Commission, “Unlicensed Use of the 6 GHz Band; Review of
the Commission's Rules Governing the 896-901/935-940 MHz Band”, Federal Register /Vol. 86, No. 32, available at:https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/19/2021-00782/unlicensed-use-ofthe-6-ghz-band-review-of-the-commissions-rules-governing-the-896-901935-940-mhz[n.9]

RFC-2616, “Hypertext Transfer Protocol -- HTTP/1.1”, Fielding, Gettys, Mogul, Frystyk,
Masinter, Leach and Berners-Lee, June 1999.

[n.10] RFC-5246, “The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.2”, Dierks andRescorla, August 2008.
[n.11] RFC-8446, “The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.3”, E. Rescorla andMozilla, August 2018[n.12] 3GPP TS 38.101-1, “NR; User Equipment (UE) radio transmission and reception; Part 1:
Range 1 Standalone”, available at:https://portal.3gpp.org/desktopmodules/Specifications/SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=3283[n.13] 3GPP TS 38.104, “NR; Base Station (BS) radio transmission and reception”, available at:https://portal.3gpp.org/desktopmodules/Specifications/SpecificationDetails.aspx?specificationId=3202[n.14] Wi-Fi Alliance AFC System to AFC Device Interface Specification, available at:https://www.wi-fi.org/file/afc-system-to-afc-device-interface-specification

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2.2 Informative References
The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present
document, but they assist the reader with regard to a particular subject area.
[i.1]

RFC-8996, “Deprecating TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1”, K. Moriarty, CIS, S. Farrell, Trinity
College Dublin, March 2021

[i.2]

NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2, “Guidelines for the Selection,
Configuration, and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations”, August
2019, available at: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-52r2[i.3]

RFC-7525, “Recommendations for Secure Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) and
Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS)”, Y. Sheffer, Intuit, R. Holz, NICTA, P.
Saint-Andre, &yet, May 2015

[i.4]

IEEE Std 802.11axTM-2021, “IEEE Standard for Information Technology-Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems Local andMetropolitan Area Networks--Specific Requirements Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium
Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications Amendment 1:
Enhancements for High-Efficiency WLAN”, May 2021.

[i.5]

TIA-10 (2019 Edition), “Interference Criteria for Microwave Systems”, The
Telecommunications Industry Association[i.6]

ITU Recommendation ITU-R F.758-7, “System parameters and considerations in thedevelopment of criteria for sharing or compatibility between digital fixed wirelesssystems in the fixed service and systems in other services and other sources ofinterference”.

[i.7]

Federal Communications Commission, “The Commission Begins The Process For
Authorizing 6 GHz Band Automated Frequency Coordination Systems”, FCC 21-100,
available at: https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/09281454120568/FCC-21-100A1.pdf

3Definitions, Abbreviations and Symbols

3.1

Definitions

3.1.1 FCC Definitions
The Wireless Innovation Forum 6 GHz Committee leverages the definitions provided by the
FCC from 47 CFR 15.403. These definitions and others are also available at reference [n.1].
Access Point (AP): A U-NII transceiver that operates either as a bridge in a peer-to-peer
connection or as a connector between the wired and wireless segments of the network or as arelay between wireless network segments.

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Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) System: A system that automatically determines andprovides lists of which frequencies are available for use by Standard Power Access Points
operating in the 5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.525-6.875 GHz bands.
NOTE: Although not explicitly stated in the definition, the AFC System provides
lists of which frequencies are available for use by Fixed Client Devices
in the same way as to Standard Power Access Points operating in the
5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.525-6.875 GHz bands. (See the definition of
Fixed Client Device)
Client Device: A U-NII device whose transmissions are generally under the control of an Access
Point and is not capable of initiating a network.
Fixed Client Device: A Client Device intended as customer premise equipment that ispermanently attached to a structure, operates only on channels provided by an AFC System, hasa geolocation capability, and complies with antenna pointing angle requirements.
NOTE: WInnForum believes that the FCC allows a Fixed Client Device tooperate as a Client Device in accordance with 15.407(a)(7),15.407(d)(5) and 15.407(d)(7), and, while doing so, tocommunicate with an AFC System.
Maximum Power Spectral Density: The Maximum Power Spectral Density is the maximum
Power Spectral Density, within the specified measurement bandwidth, within the U-NII device
operating band.
Power Spectral Density: The Power Spectral Density is the total energy output per unit
bandwidth from a Pulse or sequence of Pulses for which the transmit power is at its maximum
level, divided by the total duration of the Pulses. This total time does not include the time
between Pulses during which the transmit power is off or below its maximum level.
Pulse: A Pulse is a continuous transmission of a sequence of modulation symbols, during which
the average symbol envelope power is constant.
Standard Power Access Point: An Access Point that operates in the 5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.5256.875 GHz bands pursuant to direction from an Automated Frequency Coordination System.
U-NII devices: Intentional radiators operating in the frequency bands 5.15-5.35 GHz, 5.470-5.85
GHz, 5.925-7.125 GHz that use wideband digital modulation techniques and provide a widearray of high data rate mobile and fixed communications for individuals, businesses, andinstitutions.
3.1.2 WInnForum Definitions
AFC System Operator: An entity designated by the Commission to operate an AFC System inaccordance with the rules and procedures set forth in the Part 15 Subpart E.

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Available Channel: A Channel, determined by an AFC System, on which a Standard Power
Access Device is allowed to operate at its geographic coordinates.
NOTE: For the purpose of this document, the WInnForum definition of
Available Channel takes precedence over the definition in the 47
CFR Part 15 Subpart E [n.1] since the FCC-defined Available
Channel applies only in the context of its DFS rules.
Channel: A contiguous frequency range between lower and upper frequency limits.
Proxy: An entity engaging in communications with an AFC System on behalf of one or moreStandard Power Devices, or networks of such devices.
Standard Power Device: A terminology collectively referring to Standard Power Access Point
and Fixed Client Device.
NOTE: In this document, this terminology is used for R1, R2 and R3 requirements.
3.2 Abbreviations
3GPP
3rd Generation Partnership ProjectAFC
Automated Frequency Coordination
AGL
Above Ground Level
BER
Bit Error RateDFS
Dynamic Frequency Selection
e.i.r.p.
Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power
FCC
Federal Communications Commission
FS
Fixed Service
IEEE
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
ITM
Irregular Terrain Model
ITU
International Telecommunication Union
NAD
North American Datum
NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology
OET
Office of Engineering and Technology
TIA
Telecommunications Industry Association
U-NII
Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure
WINNER II
Wireless World Initiative New Radio phase II
3.3

Symbols

BWFS

Channel bandwidth of the fixed microwave service receiverdkm_los

size of the exclusion zone to protect the radio astronomy antenna

Fc, FS

Center frequency of the fixed microwave service receiver

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Hrxheight of the radio astronomy antenna above ground level

Htxheight of the unlicensed Standard Power DeviceIinterference from the Standard Power Device at the fixed microwave service
receiverkB

Boltzmann’s constantL

combined path loss

LLOS

line-of-sight path loss

Nbackground noise level at the fixed microwave service receiver

NF

noise figure

PLOS

probability of line-of-sight

PNLOS

probability of non-line-of-sightT

threshold level

T/I

threshold-to-interference

T0

standard temperature

4

Requirement Organization

Requirements shall be uniquely identified by: R#-<FEATURE>-<CATEGORY>-<XX>-<Y>,
where R<#> is defined by:•

R0-: Requirements directly from FCC rules
R1-: Requirements derived from FCC rules or from the text of an applicable FCC orderR2-: Requirements imposed by WInnForum to meet FCC rules
R3-: Requirements imposed by WInnForum to meet industry needs.
NOTE: Support of R3 requirements for some optional features specified innormative annexes will need to be considered in the protection of fixed
service receivers and radio astronomy service facilities in accordance withthe technology neutral requirements specified in the main body of thistechnical specification. See details in each normative annex.

•<FEATURE>: Unique feature identifier for which the requirements are applicable.
NOTE: If this tag is not present, the requirement is not feature specific.

•<CATEGORY>: Categorization of the requirement by using a code from the table below:

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Table 1: Requirements Categorization
Code
DGR
DSQ
AGR
ASQ
AIP

Category
Standard Power Device General Requirements
Standard Power Device Security Requirements
AFC System General Requirements
AFC System Security Requirements
AFC System Incumbent Protection•<XX>: Unique number to identify the requirement•<Y>: Optional and used to identify subordinate requirements, typically captured in analphabetical list following the main requirement number <XX> (e.g., R0-DTR-06-a).

Requirements taken from the FCC Rules are included as “R0” and we attempted to use
the FCC Rules without change. In some instances, the FCC uses “must”, “should” or“will” for the rules, which we have included below as “R0” requirements; however,[shall] is inserted to indicate this is considered as a mandatory requirement. In addition,
the FCC uses the term “network element” or “network element device” in some of therules which have been adopted for “R0” requirements in this specification; for thesecases the term [Proxy] is inserted for clarification purposes. Furthermore, citations usedin the FCC rule are converted into the corresponding requirement numbers in thisspecification.
The following terms are used within this document and should be interpreted as described in RFC2119 [n.2]:• SHALL is a mandatory requirement (negative is SHALL NOT)• SHOULD is recommended requirement/best practice (negative is SHOULD NOT)
• MAY is an optional requirement, i.e. something that is allowed (negative is NEED
NOT)

5Standard Power Device General Requirements (DGR)

5.1

Device Registration and Spectrum Inquiry

R0-DGR-01

Device registration requirements:

a. Standard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices must [shall] register with and beauthorized by an AFC System prior to the Standard Power Access Point and Fixed Client
Device’s initial service transmission, or after a Standard Power Access Point or Fixed
Client Device changes location. (15.407(k)(8)(i))
b. Standard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices must [shall] register with the
AFC System by providing the following parameters: geographic coordinates (latitude andlongitude referenced to North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83)), antenna height above
ground level, FCC identification number, and unique manufacturer’s serial number.
(15.407(k)(8)(ii))

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i. If any of these parameters change, the Standard Power Access Point or Fixed Client
Device must [shall] provide updated parameters to the AFC System.
c. Standard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices must [shall] provide theregistration information to the AFC System either directly and individually or by a
network element [Proxy] representing multiple Standard Power Access Points or Fixed
Client Devices from the same operating network. (15.407(k)(8)(iii))
R0-DGR-02
Standard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices may transmit only onfrequencies and at power levels that an AFC System indicates as available. (15.407(k)(1))
R0-DGR-03
Standard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices must [shall] contact
an AFC System at least once per day to obtain the latest list of available frequencies and the
maximum permissible power the Standard Power Access Point or Fixed Client Device may
operate with on each frequency at the Standard Power Access Point and Fixed Client
Device’s location. (15.407(k)(8)(iv))
R0-DGR-04
If the Standard Power Access Point or Fixed Client Device fails to successfully
contact the AFC System during any given day, the Standard Power Access Point or Fixed
Client Device may continue to operate until 11:59 p.m. of the following day at which time it
must [shall] cease operations until it re-establishes contact with the AFC System and reverifies its list of available frequencies and associated power levels. (15.407(k)(8)(iv))
R3-DGR-01
When contacting an AFC System to obtain the latest list of available
frequencies and the maximum permissible power in accordance with R0-DGR-03, Standard
Power Devices may request the AFC System to provide a list of Channels that align withchannelization defined for a specific air interface technology.
5.2

Geolocation Capability

R0-DGR-05

Geolocation capability:a. A Standard Power Access Point and a Fixed Client Device must [shall] report such
coordinates [its geographic coordinates] and location uncertainty to an AFC System at thetime of activation from a power-off condition. (15.407(k)(9)(i))
b. An external geolocation source may be connected to a Standard Power Access Point orFixed Client Device through either a wired or a wireless connection. A single geolocation
source may provide location information to multiple Standard Power Access Points orFixed Client Devices. (15.407(k)(9)(ii))
c. The applicant for certification of a Standard Power Access Point or Fixed Client Device
must [shall] demonstrate the accuracy of the geolocation method used and the location
uncertainty. (15.407(k)(9)(iv))
d. For Standard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices that may not use an internal
geo-location capability, this uncertainty must [shall] account for the accuracy of the

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geolocation source and the separation distance between such source and the Standard
Power Access Point or Fixed Client Device. (15.407(k)(9)(iv))
R1-DGR-01
A Standard Power Device must [shall] include either an internal geolocation
capability or an integrated capability to securely connect to an external geolocation devices
or service, to automatically determine the Standard Power Device’s geographic coordinates
and location uncertainty (in meters), with a confidence level of 95%. (15.407(k)(9)(i))
5.3

Use of ProxyR2-DGR-01
The obligations of one or more Standard Power Devices to communicate with
the AFC System may be met in combination with a Proxy.

6Standard Power Device Security Requirements (DSQ)

6.1

Communication Security

R2-DSQ-01
A Standard Power Device or Proxy if applicable shall use, for the purpose ofcommunications with an AFC System, the following protocols: HTTP 1.1 [n.9] or higher
and TLS 1.2 [n.10] or higher, or an alternative method of communication which provides asimilar or higher level of security.
NOTE: Useful information related to this requirement is available in RFC-8996[i.1], NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2 [i.2], and RFC-7525 [i.3].
R2-DSQ-02
A Standard Power Device or Proxy shall support at least the following cipher
suites when utilizing TLS 1.2 [n.10]:
TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256



TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256

R2-DSQ-03
Cipher suites that offer equivalent or higher levels of protection as those citedin R2-DSQ-02 may also be supported and used.
R2-DSQ-04
and used.

All cipher suites supported in TLS 1.3 [n.11] or higher may also be supported

7

AFC System General Requirements (AGR)

7.1

Device Registration

R1-AGR-01
An AFC System must [shall] verify the validity of the FCC identifier (FCC ID)
of any Standard Power Device seeking access to its services prior to authorizing theStandard Power Device to begin operation. (15.407(k)(6))
a.

A list of Standard Power Devices with valid FCC IDs and the FCC IDs of those devices
must [shall] be obtained from the Commission's Equipment Authorization System.

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R1-AGR-02
The AFC System shall register, authenticate and authorize Standard Power
Device operations, individually or through a network element device [Proxy] representing
multiple Standard Power Devices from the same operating network. (15.407(k)(7)(ii))
7.2

Determination of Available Frequencies and the Maximum Permissible Power

R0-AGR-01
An AFC System must [shall] be capable of determining the available
frequencies in steps of no greater than 3 dB below the maximum permissible e.i.r.p of 36
dBm, and down to at least a minimum level of 21 dBm. (15.407(k)(2))
R1-AGR-03
An AFC System must [shall] use the information supplied by Standard Power
Devices during registration to determine available frequencies and the maximum permissible
power in each frequency range for a Standard Power Device at any given location using
propagation models and interference protection criteria defined in 47 CFR 15.407(l).
(15.407(k)(4), 15.407(k)(7)(iii), 15.407(l))
a. All such determinations and assignments must [shall] be made in a nondiscriminatory manner.
R2-AGR-01
An AFC System shall use location uncertainty reported by a Standard Power
Device to determine maximum acceptable power levels to protect fixed service receivers.
([n.3], Paragraph 41)
R3-AGR-01
An AFC System operating under R3-AIP-01 shall use the information suppliedby Standard Power Devices during registration to determine Available Channels and the
maximum permissible power in each Channel for a Standard Power Device at any given
location using propagation models and interference protection criteria defined in 47 CFR
15.407(l).
a.

All such determinations and assignments shall be made in a non-discriminatory manner.

R3-AGR-02
An AFC System shall provide a list of Available Channels and power levels toStandard Power Devices if requested by the Standard Power Devices.
7.3

Storage of Information

R0-AGR-02
An AFC System shall obtain updated protected sites information from
Commission databases. (15.407(k)(7)(iv))
R0-AGR-03
Each AFC System Operator designated by the Commission must [shall]
maintain a regularly updated AFC System database, including incumbent’s information andStandard Power Access Points and Fixed Client Devices registration parameters.
(15.407(k)(15)(i))
R1-AGR-04
a.

Storage of registered information (15.407(k)(5)):

An AFC System shall store Standard Power Device registration information in a securedatabase.

b. The stored registration information shall be available for more than three months after
the Standard Power Devices last contacted with the AFC System.
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7.4

Enforcement Instructions from the Commission

R1-AGR-05
AFC Systems shall have the capability to deny spectrum access to a particularStandard Power Device upon requests by the Commission, in the event of harmfulinterference caused by a particular device or type of device. ([n.3], Paragraph 83)
R1-AGR-06
Each AFC System Operator designated by the Commission must [shall]
comply with enforcement instructions from the Commission, including discontinuance ofStandard Power Device operations in designated geographic areas. (15.407(k)(15)(vi))

8

AFC System Security Requirements (ASQ)

8.1

Communication Security

R2-ASQ-01
An AFC System shall use the following protocols for the purpose ofcommunications between itself and a Standard Power Device or Proxy: HTTP 1.1 [n.9] orhigher and TLS 1.2 [n.10] or higher, or an alternative method of communication which
provides a similar or higher level of security.
NOTE: Useful information related to this requirement is available in RFC-8996[i.1], NIST Special Publication 800-52 Revision 2 [i.2], and RFC-7525 [i.3].
R2-ASQ-02
An AFC System shall support at least the following cypher suites whenutilizing TLS 1.2 [n.10]:
TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256



TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256

R2-ASQ-03
Cypher suites that offer equivalent or higher levels of protection as those citedin R2-ASQ-02 may also be supported and used.
R2-ASQ-04
and used.

All cipher suites supported in TLS 1.3 [n.11] or higher may also be supported

9

AFC System Incumbent Protection (AIP)

9.1

Fixed Service Receiver Protection

R0-AIP-01
An AFC System must [shall] obtain information on protected services within
the 5.925-6.425 GHz and 6.525-6.875 GHz bands from Commission databases and use that
information to determine frequency availability for Standard Power Access Points and Fixed
Client Devices based on protection criteria specified in R0-AIP-03 and R0-AIP-04.
(15.407(k)(3))
R0-AIP-02
Propagation models to determine the appropriate separation distance between aStandard Power Access Point or a Fixed Client Device and an incumbent fixed microwave
service receiver. For a separation distance:
a. Up to 30 meters, the AFC System must [shall] use the free space path-loss model.
(15.407(l)(1)(i))
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b. More than 30 meters and up to and including one kilometer, the AFC System must [shall]
use the Wireless World Initiative New Radio phase II (WINNER II) model [n.4].
(15.407(l)(1)(ii))
i. The AFC System must [shall] use site specific information, including buildings andterrain data, for determining the line-of-sight/non-line-of-sight path component in the
WINNER II model [n.4], where such data is available.
ii. For evaluating paths where such data is not available, the AFC System must [shall] use
a probabilistic model combining the line-of-sight path and non-line-of-sight path into asingle path-loss as follows:
Path-loss (L) = ∑i P(i) * Li = PLOS * LLOS + PNLOS * LNLOS,
where PLOS is the probability of line-of-sight, LLOS is the line-of-sight path loss, PNLOS
is the probability of non-line-of sight, LNLOS is the non-line-of-sight path loss, and L isthe combined path loss. The WINNER II path loss models include a formula todetermine PLOS as a function of antenna heights and distance. PNLOS is equal to (1PLOS).
iii. In all cases, the AFC System will [shall] use the correct WINNER II parameters tomatch the morphology of the path between a Standard Power Access Point and a fixedmicrowave receiver (i.e., Urban, Suburban, or Rural).
c. More than one kilometer, the AFC System must [shall] use Irregular Terrain Model(ITM) [n.5] combined with the appropriate clutter model. (15.407(l)(1)(iii))
i. To account for the effects of clutter, such as buildings and foliage, that the AFC
System must [shall] combine the ITM [n.5] with the ITU-R P.2108-0 (06/2017) [n.6]clutter model for urban and suburban environments and the ITU-R P.452-16 (07/2015)[n.7] clutter model for rural environments.
ii. The AFC System should use the most appropriate clutter category for the local
morphology when using ITU-R P.452-16 [n.7].
iii. If detailed local information is not available, the “Village Centre” clutter category
should [shall] be used.
iv. The AFC System must [shall] use 1 arc-second digital elevation terrain data and, forlocations where such data is not available, the most granular available digital elevation
terrain data.
R0-AIP-03
The AFC System must [shall] use -6 dB I/N as the interference protection
criteria in determining the size of the co-channel exclusion zone where I (interference) is theco-channel signal from the Standard Power Access Point or Fixed Client Device at the fixedmicrowave service receiver, and N (noise) is background noise level at the fixed microwave
service receiver (15.407(l)(2)(i))
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R0-AIP-04
The AFC System must [shall] use -6 dB I/N as the interference protection
criteria in determining the size of the adjacent channel exclusion zone, where I (interference)is the signal from the Standard Power Access Point or Fixed Client Device’s out of channel
emissions at the fixed microwave service receiver and N (noise) is background noise level at
the fixed microwave service receiver. (15.407(l)(2)(ii))
a. The adjacent channel exclusion zone must [shall] be calculated based on the emissions
requirements specified in 47 CFR 15.407(b)(7).
R2-AIP-01
AFC Systems shall protect temporary fixed links from harmful interference
during the term defined by “start date” and “end date” in the ULS database. ([n.3],
Paragraph 32, and [n.8])
R2-AIP-02

Fixed Service Receiver Noise Level:

In determining the noise level N of a fixed service receiver for I/N calculations, if the AFC
System has the needed radio manufacturer data, technique b, technique c or technique d shallbe used. Otherwise, technique a shall be used.
a.

Use of the typical noise level N determined as follows:
N= {-110.0 dBm/MHz (if Fc, FS ≤ 6425 MHz),
-109.5 dBm/MHz (if Fc, FS > 6425 MHz)

where:
Fc, FS: Center frequency of the FS receiver

NOTE: These noise levels are computed by the formula in c below with anoise figure value of 4 dB below or equal to 6425 MHz and 4.5 dB
above 6425 MHz. These values are provided as default FS parametersin ITU-R F.758-7 [i.6]. See Table 7 of ITU-R F.758-7 [i.6] for more
information.
b. Use of the noise level N (with proper consideration for the occupied bandwidth)
specified by the manufacturer’s specification for the given receiver model identified by
the corresponding data element in the ULS.
NOTE: For example, if the receiver model is listed as “ACME XYZ” in ULS,an AFC System can use N available in the specification for XYZ
receiver model published by the Acme receiver company.
c.

Use of the noise level N determined by the following equation:
N = –114 dBm/MHz + NF,
where:


NF: Noise figure specified by the manufacturer’s specification for the receivermodel identified by the corresponding data element in the ULS

NOTE: –114 dBm/MHz equals 10 log10 (kB T0) + 10 log10 (106 Hz/MHz) + 10
log10 (103 mW/W), where kB is Boltzmann’s constant of 1.38064852 ×
10-23 m2·kg·s-2·K-1 and T0 is the standard reference temperature of 290
K.
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d. Use of the noise level N determined by the following equation:
N (dBm/MHz) = T (dBm) – T/I (dB) – 10 log10[BWFS (MHz)] + 6 dB,
where:


BWFS: Channel bandwidth of the FS receiver

T: Threshold for 10-6 bit error rate (BER) for the channel bandwidth BWFS

T/I: Threshold-to-Interference (T/I) specified by the manufacturer’s specification
for the given receiver model identified by the corresponding data element in the
ULS.

NOTE: The T/I specification is defined to apply for 10-6 BER in TIA-10, 2019
Edition [i.5].
R2-AIP-03
When calculating an adjacent channel exclusion zone in accordance with R0AIP-04-a, the AFC system shall take into account out of channel emissions up to one and ahalf times the device’s channel bandwidth away from its channel center.
NOTE: Out of channel emissions in this requirement refer to device’s
emission limits specified in 47 CFR 15.407(b)(7).
R3-AIP-01
An AFC System shall use the information on protected services obtained
pursuant to R0-AIP-01 to determine Available Channels for Standard Power Devices basedon protection criteria specified in R0-AIP-03 and R0-AIP-04.
9.2

Radio Astronomy Service Protection

R0-AIP-05

Protection of radio observatories:a. The AFC System must [shall] enforce an exclusion zones to the following radio
observatories that observe between 6650-6675.2 MHz:

Arecibo Observatory,

the Green Bank Observatory,

the Very Large Array (VLA),

the 10 Stations of the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA),

the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, and

the Allen Telescope Array.

b. The exclusion zone sizes are [shall be] based on the radio line-of-sight and determinedusing 4/3 earth curvature and the following formula:
dkm_los = 4.12 * (sqrt(Htx) + sqrt(Hrx)),

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6 GHz Committee Functional Specification WG
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where Htx is the height of the unlicensed Standard Power Access Point or Fixed Client
Device and Hrx is the height of the radio astronomy antenna in meters above groundlevel. (15.407(m))
R1-AIP-01

Radio Astronomy Service protection:

For protection of radio astronomy facilities listed in R0-AIP-05-a, the following reference
coordinates and receiver antenna heights above ground level (AGL) shall be used.
Table 2: Reference coordinates and receiver heights above ground level (AGL)
North latitude

West longitudeAGL(in meters)

Arecibo Observatory, PR

18° 20′ 37″

66° 45′ 11″

142.2

Green Bank Telescope(GBT), WV

38° 25′ 59″

79° 50′ 23″

139.6

Very Large Array(VLA), Socorro, NM

34° 04′ 44″

107° 37′ 06″

25

Brewster, WA 48° 07′ 52″

119° 41′ 00″

25

Fort Davis, TX 30° 38′ 06″

103° 56′ 41″25

Hancock, NH 42° 56′ 01″

71° 59′ 12″

25

Kitt Peak, AZ 31° 57′ 23″111° 36′ 45″

25

Los Alamos, NM 35° 46′ 30″

106° 14′ 44″

25

Mauna Kea, HI 19° 48′ 05″

155° 27′ 20″25

North Liberty, IA 41° 46′ 17″

91° 34′ 27″

25

Owens Valley, CA 37° 13′ 54″

118° 16′ 37″

25

Pie Town, NM 34° 18′ 04″

108° 07′ 09″

25

St. Croix, VI 17° 45′ 24″

64° 35′ 01″

25

Observatory

Very Long Baseline
Array (VLBA) Stations:

9.3

Allen Telescope Array

40° 49' 03"

121° 28' 24"

6.1

Owens Valley Radio
Observatory

37° 14' 02"

118° 16' 56"

40

International Border Protection

R0-AIP-06
An AFC System must [shall] implement the terms of international agreementswith Mexico and Canada. (15.407(k)(14))

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Annex A (Normative): 3GPP Specific Features (Optional)
A.1

Description

This annex provides requirements for 3GPP specific features. In this section, unless otherwise
specified, Standard Power Devices refer to those employing 3GPP based radio access technology
for operations in the 6 GHz band.
A.1.1 NRU1: 3GPP-defined 6 GHz Channel
An NRU1 feature enables an AFC System and a Standard Power Devices to support 3GPPdefined 6 GHz channels (e.g., channels within the 3GPP-defined n96 band [n.12][n.13]).
The support of this feature is optional for AFC System and Standard Power Devices.
A.2

Use for Operations not impacting Part 15 Subpart E Regulatory Compliance

Requirements for the NRU1 feature in this section need to be considered in the protection of
fixed service receivers and radio astronomy service facilities in accordance with the technology
neutral requirements specified in the main body of this technical specification.
A.2.1 AFC System General Requirements (AGR)
R3-NRU1-AGR-01 Support of 3GPP-defined 6 GHz channelization [n.12][n.13]:
When an AFC System determines and provides a list of Available Channels and theassociated maximum power levels pursuant to R2-AIP-02 and R3-AIP-01, for a Standard
Power Device request based on R3-NRU1-DGR-01, each Channel in the list shall be alignedwith 3GPP-defined 6 GHz channelization.
A.2.2 Device General Requirements (DGR)
R3-NRU1-DGR-01 Support of 3GPP-defined 6 GHz channelization [n.12][n.13]:
A Standard Power Device operating under R3-DGR-01 shall be able to request from an AFC
System that each Channel in the list of Available Channels be aligned with 3GPP-defined 6
GHz channelization.
A.3

Use for Operations that could impact Part 15 Subpart E Regulatory Compliance

Not applicable for this version of this document.

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Annex B (Normative): IEEE 802.11ax Specific Features (Optional)
B.1

Feature Description

This annex provides requirements for the support of IEEE 802.11ax specific features [i.4].
In this release of the specification, all mandatory and optional requirements for IEEE 802.11axspecific features are found in the Wi-Fi Alliance AFC System to AFC Device Interface
Specification [n.14].

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Annex C (Informative): AFC System Operator Certification Procedure
Information
The FCC has provided the information about the certification procedure for AFC System
Operators in its Public Notice [i.7]. The descriptions below can be found in the Public Notice andare shown for informational purpose only.


As specified in the 6 GHz Report and Order [n.3], OET will follow a multistep process toapprove AFC Systems in which each prospective AFC System Operator must demonstrate
its ability to perform the required functions pursuant to the Commission’s 6 GHz unlicensed
rules [n.1]. ([i.7], Paragraph 7)

We request that parties interested in becoming an AFC System operator as part of the initial
evaluation process submit their proposals no later than November 30, 2021. ([i.7], Paragraph
7)o

The AFC System proposals must describe how the prospective AFC System Operator
will comply with the requirements and core functions described in Section 15.407(k) of
the Commission’s rules [n.1] and the 6 GHz Report and Order [n.3]. ([i.7], Paragraph 9)o

The public will then have an opportunity to review and comment on these proposals,
including on each prospective operator’s fitness to operate an AFC System as well as
the technical and operational description of each proposed AFC System. Comments onthese proposals must be submitted by December 21, 2021. ([i.7], Paragraph 7)o

OET will review all proposals submitted by November 30, 2021 concurrently and withequal priority. Proposals submitted after this date will be considered by OET, but they
may not be considered concurrently with proposals submitted by November 30, 2021.
For any proposal received after November 30, 2021, OET will issue a public noticeannouncing receipt of the proposal and establishing a period for the public to review andcomment on the proposal. ([i.7], Paragraph 7)



Proposals will not be considered mutually exclusive and OET will conditionally approve as
many proposals as are found to satisfy all AFC System requirements. ([i.7], Paragraph 7)

Applicants who receive a conditional approval will then be required to allow access to their
AFC System for a public trial period to provide interested parties an opportunity to checkthat it provides accurate results. ([i.7], Paragraph 8)oThis trial period shall include thorough testing, both in a controlled environment (e.g.,lab testing) and through demonstration projects (e.g., field testing). OET may also
require prospective AFC System Operators to attend workshops and meetings as part of
the assessment process. ([i.7], Paragraph 8)

Prospective AFC system operators must comply with all instructions from OET and must
provide any requested information in a timely manner. ([i.7], Paragraph 8)

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Annex D (Informative): Revision History
Document History
V1.0.015 December, 2021

Initial version.

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