Commerce Secy. Donald Evans is to meet with Multichannel Multipoi...
Commerce Secy. Donald Evans is to meet with Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS), Instructional TV Fixed Service (ITFS) licensees and others in closed session Wed. to discuss need for 3rd generation wireless spectrum. Meeting will mark first time that…
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Evans, who already has met with commercial wireless carriers on issue twice this year, has sat down with education and MMDS community in such session. FCC has been overseeing evaluation of 2.5 GHz band now used by MMDS and ITFS licensees for advanced wireless services such as 3G , and NTIA has undertaken analysis of 1.7 GHz band now occupied mostly by military users. Evans first met with mobile wireless carriers and other govt. officials in March, with observers at that time saying that he signaled his direct interest in working on 3G spectrum solutions (CD March 31 p1). Representative of one company that will be at June 6 meeting said one message likely to be brought up by industry was that wireless carriers shouldn’t automatically get new spectrum because maturity of mobile data applications still was in early phase. But another source said message of ITFS representatives was likely to be broader pitch about extensive educational uses of existing spectrum and its benefits to community groups and students. Among those expected to attend are Msgr. Michael Dempsey, pres., Catholic TV Network.