Several satellite companies recommended Thurs. that draft U.S. pr...

group of FCC WRC Advisory Committee would invite ITU to further study and draft recommendations on technical and operational issues related to future development of systems beyond IMT-2000. At meeting of FCC WRC Advisory Committee (WAC), some satellite representatives voiced concern that ITU consideration of future versions of 3G not eye their spectrum. Mobile wireless interests stressed that WRC policy formation still was in early stages and that U.S. position should be relatively open ended. Donna Bethea of PanAmSat said part of draft that noted that WRC 2000 review of 3G spectrum requirements focused on bands below 3 GHz left “confusion.” She suggested language be clarified to specify that because studies in that area had dealt with bands below 3 GHz, future ITU consideration for further IMT-2000 development should focus on bands below that point. Another possibility would be to spell out that further IMT-2000 development exclude FSS from consideration, she said. Washington attorney Benjamin Griffin said U.S. video industry shared similar concerns as “a heavy, heavy user of FSS services.” He said many of his clients had agreements running as far out as 20 years to distribute major TV networks throughout world on FSS networks. Don Jansky, chmn. of WAC working group on 5 GHz and maritime issues, said he had heard similar concerns expressed throughout WRC planning process on FSS bands above 3 GHz. But Cecily Cohen, Nokia mgr.-govt. & industry affairs, said limiting mobile terrestrial operators to spectrum below 3 GHz for future advanced uses would be “a mistake.” She said she would recommend that ITU studies on future iterations of IMT-2000 not exclude FSS bands. Steve Sharkey, Motorola dir.-spectrum and standards strategies, also said it would be “premature” to identify now bands that should be taken out of consideration for those studies. He said Motorola recently submitted paper to FCC’s Spectrum Policy Task Force saying it was appropriate to examine spectrum below 6 GHz for additional mobile allocations, with preference for bands below 3 GHz. “I think it is appropriate to leave this open to some extent on the studies that are done in the band,” he said. WAC participants agreed to send draft proposal back to Informal Working Group 1 to look at issue further, along with other industry participants that might be affected.