With little ’significant’ controversy, the FCC should move quickl...

in the handful of reply comments was whether the FCC should require frequency coordination when a licensee’s regulatory status changes, for example, going from private mobile radio service (PMRS) to CMRS. The Wireless Bureau raised the issue in a May rulemaking, saying submissions for new and modified Part 90 stations generally require frequency coordination; it proposes killing this requirement. Motorola said changes shouldn’t all be treated the same. “For applications involving a change in a licensee’s regulatory status from CMRS to PMRS or vice versa, licensees with exclusive use of their channel should be permitted to proceed without a frequency coordination requirement,” Motorola said. “Motorola also believes that applications to remove a licensee’s authority to interconnect with PSTN should not require coordination, even if the applicant operates on a shared channel. On the other hand, modifying a non-exclusive license to add interconnection should require coordination, because it typically results in much higher levels of airtime usage on a channel.” The Enterprise Wireless Alliance said CMRS-to-PMRS conversions pose fewer risks and shouldn’t need coordination. “A PMRS-to-CMRS conversion has the potential to significantly impact co-channel entities through increased channel traffic, while a CMRS-to-PMRS license modification reduces that possibility,” the group said. “The applicable frequency coordination requirements should reflect these different situations.” The bureau also asked for comments in changes to its Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS) rules. General Electric Healthcare said the commission should refrain from imposing “a vague new mandate” requiring makers to ensure that end-users register with a frequency coordinator. The company asked the commission to prohibit secondary use of WMTS in the 1427-1432 MHz band to protect patient safety. But Philips Medical Systems said secondary use of the spectrum is safe. It noted that the American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association agrees. “Modern technology allows wireless medical telemetry devices to utilize secondary spectrum effectively without sacrificing patient safety or interfering with the primary users,” Phillips said. “Indeed, the availability of secondary spectrum can enhance the safety and performance of WMTS devices as compared to WMTS devices operating only on the primary frequencies.”