FCC issued order on cellular service rules for Gulf of Mexico ser...

La., Miss. and Tex. Gulf coast. Regions are split because in eastern area there are no offshore gas and oil drilling platforms for cell sites. FCC adopted proposal to create coastal zone in which cellular unserved area licensing rules would be in effect. In Western Gulf, cellular service will continue to be covered by existing rules. Commission created Gulf of Mexico Exclusive Zone, covering Western Gulf and parts of Eastern Gulf outside of coastal zone, “in which the Gulf carriers will be exclusively licensed to operate,” it said. In 1980s, FCC first authorized cellular service in Gulf of Mexico, allowing companies to operate throughout GSMA, which extends to shoreline. Gulf carriers had been restricted to placing transmitter sites on offshore platforms and couldn’t use land-based transmitters for service area. Land-based wireless operators also faced restrictions because they couldn’t extend their service area contours into GSMA, FCC said, resulting in conflict between Gulf carriers and adjacent land-based carriers. In some cases, that has led to coverage gaps either on land or over water. In Eastern Gulf, where offshore oil or gas platforms aren’t built out, FCC concluded that best way to ensure “seamless” cellular service was to adopt proposal to create coastal zone along eastern part of GSMA. That will let land-based carriers extend service area contours into coastal waters, allowing them to add cell sites close to shore and to bolster signal strength. In Western Gulf, Commission said best way to achieve reliable service was to encourage continued reliance on negotiation and market-based solutions. It cited agreements already reached by PetroCom and US Cellular as well as several land- based carriers.