Small and large wireless carriers want the FCC to drop a proposal to allow both traditional simultaneous multiple round (SMR) bidding and experimental “package” bidding in a June advanced wireless services (AWS) auction. Carriers also said they fret over a proposal to keep critical bidder data secret as the auction progresses. But 2 major carriers expected to be in on the auction -- Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile -- did not agree on whether secrecy would help or hinder bidding. The AWS auction of 1,122 licenses and 90 MHz of spectrum is deemed one of the most significant in many years, especially as carriers roll out spectrum-intensive 3G offerings.
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
NTIA Dir. Michael Gallagher left office last week, NTIA confirmed Wed. Gallagher’s last day was last Thurs., NTIA staff learned via e-mail the next day. Deputy John Kneuer is acting dir. Gallagher said in Dec. he would leave NTIA, but had not set a date (CD Dec 21 p1). Gallagher took over at NTIA shortly after Nancy Victory left in Aug. 2003, but wasn’t confirmed by the Senate until Nov. 2004.
The Assn. of Public Communications Officials Tues. voiced deep concern that the White House budget fails to dedicate funds for interoperable communications. Without such funding many agencies can’t buy radios, an APCO lobbyist said. APCO spoke out ahead of a hearing today (Wed.) by a House Homeland Security Committee panel on interoperable communications.
CTIA officials are promoting a new proposal for USF reform that combines the “numbers-based” approach to collections promoted by Chmn. Martin with a capacity-based assessment for large users. CTIA began circulating its version of USF reform the past few weeks, a spokesman said. CTIA Pres. Steve Largent highlighted the USF proposal Mon. during a lunch with reporters, calling it one of the Assn.’s top priorities.
The FCC late Fri. released a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require all telecom carriers to submit to the Commission each year certifications providing details on their protocols for protecting customer proprietary network information (CPNI). The FCC proposed that with the certificates a carrier submit a summary of all consumer complaints the previous year on the unauthorized release of CPNI, and a summary of any actions taken against data brokers.
Equipment makers Nokia and Lucent joined Motorola in urging the FCC to impose restrictions on power levels of ISM devices, including microwave ovens. The Assn. of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) shot back Fri., saying Nokia and Lucent had been quiet on the issue for more than a year and filed late in the fight “presumably at the urging” of Motorola.
NTIA and the FCC said they reached agreement on criteria allowing sale of unlicensed devices operating in the 5 GHz band, exploiting dynamic frequency selection (DFS) technology to permit coexistence between the devices and military radars. The development opens 255 more MHz spectrum to unlicensed use, such as Wi-Fi. Gear makers Cisco, Motorola and Atheros have been pushing for agreement and are expected to be among the first to market with 5 GHz devices.
The FCC likely will ask a battery of questions but draw few “tentative conclusions” in an imminent notice of proposed rulemaking on guarding customer records, sources said. Given the current dearth of detailed customer proprietary network information (CPNI) rules at FCC, the Commission is expected to issue few additional citations based on thousands of CPNI certifications filed for the record in recent days, a mandate the agency temporarily reimposed as part of an investigation (CD Feb 1 p5), they said. The FCC remains on track to release the NPRM later this week, Chmn. Martin told reporters Wed.
NASUCA accused carriers of distortion amid intensifying conflict over whether the FCC should preempt states on carrier billing issues, including tougher consumer measures. Besides being an FCC issue, the matter stars in a case at the 11th U.S. Appeals Court, Atlanta.
Judges appeared skeptical Fri. of arguments by wireless licensees Mobile Relay Assoc. (MRA) and Skitronics before the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., that the FCC had treated them in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner by not allowing them to transfer operations to what they view as preferable spectrum as part of the ongoing 800 MHz rebanding.