Verizon Wireless is pushing the FCC to move up the starting date for the 700 MHz auction, which could effectively kill a Cyren Call proposal for a wireless broadband network serving public safety using 700 MHz spectrum, sources said. Meanwhile, even though the FCC had held it cannot reallocate the spectrum without Congressional action, the agency has been inundated with comments in recent days in support of the Cyren plan.
Comr. McDowell expects to be able to work with the new Democratic leadership of Congress, he said, admitting the majority control change “affects everything.” McDowell spoke Wed. to an FCBA luncheon, breaking little new ground. FCBA attendees had only one question for McDowell in Q&A: His view of the Democratic takeover of Congress. “I had originally written a little piece about that in my speech and cleared a joke that my staff made me take out,” he said: “Certainly, a changeover in both houses of Congress affects everything in Washington and we'll take it one step at a time. I've always gone out of my way to work on a bipartisan -- really, nonpartisan -- basis, and I look forward to working with the new leadership in Congress regardless.” Afterward, he had no comment for reporters on the status of his recusal on the AT&T-BellSouth merger.
FCC Chmn. Martin will have to take a fresh approach to his office and faces much more oversight - from hearings to phone calls and letters from Capitol Hill demanding answers, former FCC Chmn. Reed Hundt said, commenting on the Democratic takeover of Congress.
FCC Chmn. Martin hesitates to act on the AT&T-BellSouth merger until he meets with key Democratic members on the Hill to get their views, regulatory sources said Mon. No meeting has occurred, but FCC staff members reportedly made informal contact last week with staffers for incoming House Commerce Committee Chmn. Dingell (D-Mich.) and were assured Dingell isn’t calling for a delay on the merger vote.
Despite 12 years of GOP dominance in Congress and control of the White House since 2001, most of the communications sector’s trade associations and companies won’t be caught completely flat-footed by the Democrats’ reemergence as the party in charge in the House and Senate, sources said.
The FCC is considering lighting requirements -- on existing as well as new towers -- designed to keep birds from flying into communications towers, according to the text of the notice of proposed rulemaking released by the Commission Tues. The NPRM also clarifies that the FCC is considering imposing limits on the use of guy wires by tower companies, since many environmentalists believe those also kill birds.
Cyren Call will be forced to turn to Congress after the FCC rejected its bid for an order reallocating 700 MHz spectrum, now slated to be sold at auction, to a 30 MHz public safety broadband network. In a surprise twist, the FCC’s Public Safety Bureau formally rejected the petition late Fri., just days after the agency put Cyren Call’s petition for rulemaking out for comment. CTIA last week had urged the FCC to immediately dismiss the petition.
The FCC Fri. launched a rulemaking expected to lead to a requirement that celltower operators install white strobe lights to protect migrating birds. A Commission notice of proposed rulemaking seeks guidance on other bird-friendly steps. It also asks more generally how much risk towers pose.
High tech companies and medical device makers want a band for MedRadio to achieve wireless devices’ full potential, they told the FCC. Several parties asked for more spectrum than the 5 MHz expected to be reserved for the devices. Commenters also asked the Commission to tweak the rules to make them as useful as possible.
The FCC dropped the AT&T-BellSouth merger vote from the agenda for today’s meeting, indicating FCC Chmn. Martin is growing less certain of gaining approval. AT&T has indicated talks on merger conditions are at an impasse, sources said. At deadline, with discussions continuing, the FCC’s 2 Democrats said they were seeing progress.