Designated entity rules for the advanced wireless services auction seem in flux, with short form applications due May 10 and the auction set to start June 29. The FCC has 2 choices, sources said: approve rules consistent with a further notice of proposed rulemaking, or not propose any changes to DE rules before the auction. “There may still be negotiating going on,” one source said: “I wouldn’t read too much in the tea leaves.” The source said Chmn. Martin has yet to lay out a clear “drop dead” date by which time DE rules must be approved for the auction to proceed as planned.
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 FCC issued a $750,000 notice of apparent liability for forfeiture against Dobson Cellular and American Cellular on accusations of “willfully and repeatedly” violating FCC rules requiring the carrier to provide E-911 service within 6 months of a valid request by a PSAP. Both carriers are subsidiaries of Oklahoma City-based Dobson Communications.
Repair crew access to disasters remains a controversial issue as the FCC Hurricane Katrina Independent Panel assembles a report due June 15. Panelists representing firefighters and police made clear Tues. at the FCC they're reluctant to give repair crews blanket “first responder” status.
A report by the Dept. of Homeland Security’s inspector general on how the Federal Emergency Management Agency performed during Hurricane Katrina found that communications was one of several “severe deficiencies” during the storm. But the report also said FEMA provided critical communications support through its mobile teams dispatched to the disaster area before Katrina made landfall.
Military effectiveness was compromised when DoD had to move to inferior spectrum to make room for commerce, DoD CIO John Grimes said Thurs. Commercialization of DoD spectrum and related issues are becoming more problematic, he said in remarks to an INPUT lunch. “Spectrum is starting to eat my lunch in many ways,” Grimes said.
The FCC Wed. backed away, at least in part, from an order demanding blind bids in an advanced wireless services auction set to start in June. Blind bidding, strongly backed by FCC Chief Economist Leslie Marx, ran into a firestorm of protests from carriers large and small. Nonetheless, as the auction has neared, the FCC has seemed adamant on blind bids.
The FCC is ready to act selectively against big wireless carriers for missing a Dec. 31, 2005, requirement that 95% of cellphones used by customers be location capable, sources said Tues. The extent of penalties is unclear. Carriers have been contacted by the Enforcement Bureau, sources confirmed.
Chmn. Martin has started to circulate among his fellow commissioners an order that would give industry standard- setting groups the first cut at developing rules for making facilities-based broadband and interconnected VoIP services capable of accommodating law enforcement wiretaps, sources said Tues. The FCC approved a CALEA order for VoIP Aug. 5 (CD Aug 8 p1) at the urging of federal law enforcement and released an order Sept. 23.
Qualcomm accused MSTV of making a last-ditch effort to stall launch of MediaFLO, a service operating in the lower 700 MHz band that would allow transmission of high quality video, audio and data to mobile phones using a limited number of towers at high power levels. Qualcomm, which is working with Verizon Wireless on a launch as early as Oct., is trying to resolve one of the key issues that must be addressed before a nationwide rollout, it said.
LAS VEGAS -- Debate about when 4G wireless will supplant 3G as an aim of carriers building out networks crackled among wireless carrier officials at CTIA Wireless 2006. During the closing keynote, Spring Nextel COO Len Lauer said his firm will decide on 4G this summer. Top Cingular and Orange officials urged caution.