The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is letting AT&T use an unused part of the airwaves for mobile broadband, potentially increasing the speed and capacity of its new LTE network. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today adopted revised rules to enable Wireless Communications Service (WCS) licensees’ to use a total of 30 megahertz of underutilized spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band for wireless broadband services, while protecting the adjacent Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) operator Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Sirius XM) against harmful interference.

The revision is in line with an agreement between AT&T Inc. and Sirius.

The revised rules also provide Sirius XM greater certainty and flexibility by adopting conditions for identifying and resolving interference to SDARS operations on roadways and by relaxing the SDARS licensee notification requirements for low-power terrestrial repeaters and for minor modifications to repeaters.

FCC has been trying to remove the regulatory barriers that are limiting the flexible use of spectrum for broadband services.