SouthernLINC Raises Red Flag Over EWA’s 800 MHz Plan
SouthernLINC Wireless asked the FCC to carve out spectrum that the company uses to offer CMRS service in a four-state region if the commission moves forward on a petition by the Enterprise Wireless Alliance for rule changes to allow the assignment of new, full-power interstitial channels between currently authorized channel assignments in the 854-861/809-815 MHz bands. But other commenters endorsed the changes proposed.
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The alliance “should be applauded for developing a creative approach to maximizing the use of spectrum resources,” SouthernLINC said. “Finding additional spectrum for private or commercial uses is a monumental challenge.” But the carrier said it uses the spectrum to offer service to hundreds of thousands of subscribers, “including many public safety subscribers,” in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi, so it “urges that these proposals be modified to exclude any consideration of channels above 858.5 MHz/813.5 MHz in the Southeast, which are licensed to SouthernLINC Wireless.”
The Land Mobile Communications Council, Forest Industries Telecommunications and TIA endorsed the petition. The council supported more-efficient use of spectrum and additional spectrum for all private Land Mobile Radio service users. It said “the creation of new 12.5 kHz interstitial channels in the band will promote greater spectral efficiency and also lead to the deployment of advanced technologies similar to those being deployed in the VHF and UHF bands.”
The Enterprise Wireless Alliance said in its petition, filed in April, that new 12.5 kHz channels in the band will promote spectrum efficiency, encourage development of new analog and digital technologies, and “provide the potential for a viable spectrum alternative for new entrants whose requirements can be met without compromising incumbent operations.” Adoption of the proposal would “provide consistency between the 800 MHz bandplan and those in other Part 90 allocations, thereby permitting the development of dual-band communication devices, which will further promote spectrum efficiency,” the alliance said.