Language in the FCC’s roaming order, released last week after approval at an Aug. 7 meeting, could spell trouble for carriers who bought spectrum in the advanced wireless services auction (AWS) and now must wait for the spectrum to be cleared to build out their systems, officials said. The sweeping wording of the text was broader than some feared, based on comments at the FCC meeting (CD Aug 8 p1).
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin circulated an order that would put an abrupt end to M2Z’s effort to build a free, nationwide wireless broadband network in the 2.1 GHz band. Martin has asked fellow commissioners for a quick vote. Meanwhile, M2Z put the FCC on notice that it will seek a writ of mandamus in federal court that would force the FCC to act on its petition. M2Z will tell the court that the FCC was statutorily required to make a public interest determination on its license application by May 5, 2007 but hasn’t issued it.
The blend of spectrum, platform and business model being designed by Mobile Satellite Ventures for the L-band still is “a viable option,” MSV CEO Alexander Good said Tuesday in an earnings call. The L-band is a single nationwide license. The 700 MHz spectrum, except for the public-private partnership, will be auctioned in regional or smaller chunks. L-band users don’t occupy the same spectrum as broadcasters and other high-power users, he said.
The founder of EchoStar says he “wouldn’t bet the ranch” that the DTV transition will happen on schedule. Charles Ergen said he believes politicians will blink as the Feb. 18, 2009, deadline approaches. “No politician is going to want to take the oath of office” with people about to lose their TVs, he said. The digital transition helps EchoStar’s Dish network, because cable has to move customers from analog to digital before they can take advantage of digital and HD programming, he said.
Sprint Nextel’s wireless subscriber base shot up second quarter, but high costs hurt total income, Sprint revealed Wednesday in its Q2 results. In a morning conference call, Sprint officials gave updates on the Qualcomm-Broadcom dispute, Clearwire partnership, 800 MHz rebanding and its cable joint venture.
The FCC voted Tuesday to require carriers to offer automatic roaming to other carriers’ customers on a just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory basis, applying Communications Act sections 201 and 202 to roaming. The requirement includes data that touches the Public Switched Telecom Network, such as text messages, and push-to-talk service. The FCC also agreed to launch a rulemaking examining whether to extend the protections to all data, including wireless broadband, a major concern of some small carriers.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Taking his 700-MHz band auction show on the road, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin passionately defended the Commission’s adoption of open access requirements as helping consumers and innovation. Speaking at a North Carolina Chamber of Commerce lunch Thursday, he predicted the rules will lead to greater competition in wireless communication.
Frontline Wireless will ask the FCC to reverse its decision on a wholesale requirement, and Google refused to say whether without wholesale it will participate in the auction, the companies said following the commission’s adoption of 700 MHz band rules. The FCC Tuesday (CD Aug 1 p1) said it was imposing a form of open access -- “no lock, no block” -- but it wasn’t requiring the winner of a 22 MHz block to offer spectrum access wholesale.
The FCC adopted rules for the 700 MHz band Tuesday, allowing for some open access requirements on 22 MHz of spectrum and creating a 10 MHz nationwide block for a public- private partnership to build a nationwide interoperable wireless broadband network for public safety use. The commission declined to require a wholesale requirement. The commission voted 5-0, but with FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell dissenting in part. In addition, all of the commissioners except FCC Chairman Kevin Martin concurred on various parts of it.
The FCC seems on track to vote Tuesday on an order firming up wireless carriers’ duty to provide automatic roaming for voice, though probably not for wireless broadband or most other data. Commission sources said Monday that with nearly all focus on the 700 MHz order the roaming item has gotten little discussion in recent weeks. “700 MHz has sucked all the air out of the room,” an FCC source said.