The FCC WRC Advisory Committee (WAC) voted Wed. to adopt a position against using 3.7-4.2 GHz as a band for advanced wireless services, agreeing with satellite operators. But the committee has not adopted a position on 3650-3700 MHz, a frequency the FCC has slated for limited use in the U.S.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
The 30 companies and associations that filed comments on FCC rules for the upcoming 700 MHz auction speak to the massive interest in the 60 MHz of spectrum to be auctioned before early 2008, sources said Tues. “From a business standpoint, if AWS is beachfront spectrum, this is the Riviera of beachfront,” said an industry official: “The fact that you did see all these commenters is indicative of how interested people are.”
The FCC should adopt rules for the coming 700 MHz auction that offer licenses in small geographic areas to accommodate bids by small carriers, said rural wireless groups. The FCC is considered likeliest to offer some spectrum in cellular market area (CMA) chunks - the smallest geographic licenses sold in the recently concluded AWS auction.
The Global VSAT Forum (GVF) and WiMAX Forum agreed Fri. to hold talks starting this week over what satellite operators view as a major threat: WiMAX use of the 3.4-3.7 GHz band. The deal came at a GVF summit on the band expected to be a major area of debate at next year’s WRC meeting in Geneva.
Congress should outlaw pretexting by passing a law as soon as possible to prevent future corporate scandals like the Hewlett-Packard (HP) debacle, said House Commerce Committee Chmn. Barton (R-Tex.) and other members at a Thurs. hearing. Barton scolded 10 witnesses, including top HP officials, who are involved in an investigation using pretexting -- getting people’s personal information using false identifies.
NARUC Gen. Counsel Brad Ramsay said he sees little chance of compromise with wireless carriers on state wireless preemption while the Senate version of broad telecom reform containing preemption language is still alive. Ramsay predicted CTIA may be willing to discuss a compromise with NARUC, but not until after a likely lame duck session of the Congress ends.
Sprint Nextel is making curbing the costs of special access its top priority on Capitol Hill and at the FCC. The carrier is taking on the fight reluctantly, but has no choice given the disappearance of the 2 biggest advocates of special access price controls, MCI and the premerger AT&T, said Robert Foosaner, Sprint chief regulatory officer. “This is not just a Sprint Nextel issue,” Foosaner said: “This is a big issue for all business… We're the ones who are willing to take the battle on.”
The Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials said the group is “very disappointed” about Sprint Nextel’s suggestions (CD Sept 21 p4) that the movement of public safety licensees to other bands in phase 2 of the 800 MHZ rebanding process be suspended so all systems can be moved at one time. Sprint put out a clarification.
Many of the most significant policy fights of tower companies are at the state and local level, PCIA Pres. Mike Fitch told us in an interview ranging across many topics. Critical issues do face tower operators at the FCC and FAA, but he spends much of his time on local matters with potential national implications, said the former FCC bureau chief: “We spend more time on zoning than anything.”
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy joined designated entities (DEs) in questioning the need for the major rule changes for DEs that the FCC approved before the recent AWS auction. In a filing on a further notice of proposed rulemaking on future auction rules, the Office suggested the FCC had already gone too far.