The FCC has started to circulate a proposal to reform the MMDS/ITFS spectrum allocation, with an eye to a vote at the June 10 meeting. The proposal is viewed as significant since it could open up 190 MHz of spectrum in the 2500-2690 MHz bands for mobile broadband. The FCC has also started to circulate for a potential vote a petition for reconsideration of one section of the Triennial Review Order (TRO) and a rulemaking on the Big LEO satellite band.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
The Dept. of Defense released a long-awaited policy on the use of wireless phones and other wireless devices on military installations, saying the devices shouldn’t be used to store or transmit classified information and unclassified information should be encrypted. Wireless phones and other devices wouldn’t even be permitted in areas where classified information is “discussed or processed” without written approval. The policy went into effect upon release.
Nationwide wireless local number portability (LNP) arrives today (Mon.) under a cloud of uncertainty, with lawsuits pending in federal court challenging the Commission’s LNP order and several states granting delays.
The Intercarrier Compensation Forum (ICF) is expected to continue its work, though in a significantly reduced state, after many key members including 2 Bells dropped out Wed. Sources said they expect the FCC to play an increasingly central role in trying to structure an agreement although any ICF proposal would be only one of several submitted to the FCC.
Officials representing high-tech and wireless companies Wed. called on the FCC to allocate to promoters of wireless broadband services more low-frequency spectrum. The companies also said during an all-day FCC forum on the topic that resolving standardization issues will prove critical in coming months.
Year-long talks aimed at working out an agreement on access charges through the Intercarrier Compensation Forum (ICF) have collapsed for now, with the formal departure Wed. of several key members -- including BellSouth, which initiated discussions with AT&T last year. Many of the discussions had been at BellSouth’s Washington office.
FCC Chmn. Powell said the FCC is on track to issue a report and order on broadband over powerline (BPL) interference issues in Sept. or Oct. Powell told reporters touring the FCC lab in Columbia, Md., Tues. he’s pleased with the response so far from electric utilities and others interested in offering BPL as a broadband alternative.
Despite generally negative comments from many groups, the FCC will press forward with its investigation of “interference temperatures,” Edmond Thomas, chief of the Office of Engineering & Technology said Tues. Thomas told us he wasn’t surprised many comments asked the FCC to drop the proceeding. Several sources said that among FCC’s Spectrum Policy Task Force’s recommendations, the interference temperature proposal most clearly landed with a thud.
Public safety groups weighed in Mon. strongly supporting Nextel arguments that it should get spectrum at 1.9 GHz as embraced by the “consensus” plan, and not at 2.1 GHz proposed by CTIA and other wireless carriers. The groups said they have grown “frustrated” with delays tied to the latest rebanding debate and hope for a quick decision.
Nextel late Fri. accused other wireless carriers of ulterior motives in pushing the FCC to give it spectrum at 2.1 GHz instead of 1.9 GHz in the “consensus” rebanding agreement. The ex parte filing comes as FCC staff continue to examine implications of both proposals. “A review of FCC licensing databases revealed that approximately 70% of the incumbent licensees at 2165--2180 MHz are cellular carriers, i.e., Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless, AT&T Wireless, Alltel, Sprint and US Cellular -- the most vocal proponents of assigning inferior replacement spectrum at 2.1 GHz to Nextel,” Nextel said: “Verizon and Cingular and AT&T Wireless alone hold licenses for approximately 40% of the microwave links, and this percentage holds true for each of the 3 potential 2.1 GHz replacement downlink blocks.” Nextel said CTIA, which urged giving Nextel 2.1 GHz spectrum 2 weeks ago, as well as Verizon Wireless, the original proponent of the plan, should have disclosed that other carriers own this spectrum. “It is beyond comprehension that CTIA and Verizon (the holder of more than 20% of incumbent microwave licenses at 2.1 GHz) failed to inform the Commission of these facts,” Nextel said. “The Commission is dependent on the candor and veracity of its licensees in its proceedings, as well as the associations that represent them. Pertinent factual omissions should not and must not be tolerated, particularly in public-safety related proceedings.” Nextel took particular umbrage at CTIA comments that Nextel would also benefit from the 2.1 GHz proposal: “CTIA’s comments are startling in their hubris, cynicism, and conceit… This information adds to the weight of evidence against CTIA’s proposal of 2.1 GHz replacement spectrum and the FCC should reject this proposal… The consensus plan remains the only solution before the FCC that proactively eliminates 800 MHz public safety radio interference and provides much-needed additional public safety spectrum at no cost to the American taxpayer.”