Mobile satellite service (MSS) licensees raised concerns about dr...

Communications at WRC 2003 FCC Advisory Committee (WAC) meeting at FCC Tues. Agenda item for next WRC is to address spectrum requirements for mobile, fixed, Earth exploration satellite and space research services and to review radiolocation service at 5150-5725 MHz. Draft proposal under consideration in informal working group that has been providing input to U.S. position has considered proposal that would provide that RLAN stations at 5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5725 MHz not cause harmful interference to other stations that had primary allocations. Draft would ask administrations to examine interference mitigation techniques such as dynamic frequency selection. Globally harmonized allocation for RLANs “would greatly enhance the utility and benefit to society of these devices by facilitating roaming, reducing manufacturing and end-user costs and providing a greater degree of regulatory certainty as to the future value of investments in this technology,” draft said. Globalstar objected to proposed primary allocation for such wireless access systems in letter Mon. to WAC Chmn. Brian Fontes, Cingular Wireless vp-federal relations. Because that technology already is allowed in U.S. under Part 15 rules for unlicensed spectrum and “is foreseen in the rest of the world to be implemented on a license-exempt and noninterference basis, there would be no rational basis consistent with past regulatory policy to accord such an application primary status in the international table of allocations,” Globalstar Spectrum Mgr. David Weinreich wrote. Instead, Globalstar would like RLANs to be accommodated through footnote at WRC 2003 that would indicate that administrations wanting to implement such systems could make designation. ARRL, National Assn. for Amateur Radio, also raised objections based on existing allocation at 5650-5670 MHz. Addition of RLAN-type services “would add another application that its proponents expect to be widely deployed and we expect such systems to be colocated or adjacent to amateur stations,” said ARRL, which would prefer no change. Amid occasionally testy exchange at WAC meeting, Washington attorney Damon Ladson, representing companies including Microsoft and Cisco, said Globalstar objections should be part of public comment period on WRC Advisory Committee positions. Over those objections, WAC accepted recommendation of informal working group, including ARRL and Globalstar input. Fontes said fuller range of documents was more “encompassing.” Discussion also involved why MSS operators hadn’t been more actively involved in informal working group talks. Representative of ICO said ICO used 5150-5250 for feeder link and had gateway station in Brewster, Wash., that used band to control one satellite company now had in orbit. Separately, David Gross, U.S. deputy asst. secy. of state for international communications, told WAC meeting that its advance work on formulating U.S. stance on agenda items had put “the U.S. in a better position than it has ever been to go into a WRC.” Gross noted that aim of planning always was to firm up U.S. positions before regional meetings around world before WRC.