Washington officials told FCC’s Public Safety National Coordination Committee (NCC) Fri. that hot spot-based systems such as Wi-Fi wouldn’t be adequate for wireless data needs of their public safety systems. Federal law enforcement and local emergency medical service officials outlined new wireless data applications needed to address security and public safety needs, including biochemical sensors set to operate in some Metro subway stations next month. But D.C. and federal public safety officials pushed need for new spread spectrum technologies, rather than Wi-Fi networks.

Both U.K. and U.S. spectrum policies are far from perfect and need lot of work, speakers said at Center for Digital Economy Washington conference on spectrum policy reform in U.K. and U.S. Speakers called FCC Spectrum Policy Task Force Report (SPTF) “not aggressive enough” and said U.K. spectrum policy “is a mess.”

FCC granted in part and denied in part Skybridge petition for reconsideration on nongeostationary orbit (NGSO) fixed satellite services (FSS) sharing Ku-band frequencies with geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite and terrestrial services. Commission also denied Hughes petition for reconsideration on radio frequency (RF) safety rules. In decisions released Tues., Commission granted 4 Skybridge requests and amended its rules as follows: (1) NGSO FSS uplink operations can operate in 13.15-13.2125 GHz portion of 12.75-13.25 GHz band outside 50 km radius of top-100 TV markets. Gateway operations will be allowed in 13.15-13.2125 GHz on co-primary basis and changes will reflect effective isotropically radiated power (EIRP) limits of 3.2 dBW at 0 degrees elevation. (2) Co-frequency operations don’t need individual coordination because power flux density limits for NGSO FSS in 10.7-11.7 GHz are sufficient. “Should interference occur, the new entrant shall continue to be responsible for resolving the interference to an acceptable level,” Commission said. (3) NGSO FSS earth station gateway definition is amended to limit their use to support NGSO FSS and not for exclusive use of any one customer. (4) ITU EIRP limits of 59 dBW will be adopted for federal radiolocation operations in 13.75-14 GHz band that will protect GSO and NGSO FSS operations. Commission denied Skybridge requests to restrict EIRP limits to 6 MHz in 13.77-13.78 GHz band and to require ITU protection levels to share frequencies with radio astronomy services. It also addressed Hughes petition that Commission shouldn’t require professional installation of 2- way subscriber antennas for RF operations. FCC denied requests, saying professional installation wasn’t requirement but was merely suggestion. “In addition, the Commission may examine RF safety concerns and NGSO FSS antenna rules on professional installation, labeling, interlocking measures and instructional materials in a future proceeding,” agency said.

In new filings on ultra-wideband (UWB), AOL Time Warner, Viacom, Warner Bros. and others said they supported petition for reconsideration by Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA). FCC plans to vote at Thurs. meeting on reconsideration of Feb. 2002 UWB rules and other pending issues. HBO, Turner Bcstg. and others raised concerns last week that emissions limits would create potential interference for C-band receive antennas (CD Feb 6 p9). Viacom urged FCC to revise emissions limits for UWB devices at 3.7-4.2 GHz to ensure they wouldn’t interfere with satellite services. Viacom owns premium and basic cable program services and 2 broadcast networks, CBS and UPN, delivered via C-band satellite capacity and received by cable operator head-ends and network affiliates using downlink antennas at 3.7-4.2 GHz. Program services include Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV. “Viacom and its cable and broadcast network affiliates literally have billions of dollars riding on the quality reception of C-band transmissions,” it said. NCTA raised similar concerns, citing recent SIA studies that said UWB devices could cause interference to reception of satellite signals in C-band frequencies. “We urge the Commission not to adopt final technical rules for UWB devices until this analysis can be done and appropriate remedies adopted,” NCTA said. Warner Bros. and WB TV network also weighed in on side of SIA. WB said SIA findings showed that peak emission limits adopted for UWB devices weren’t sufficient to protect C-band receive antennas. “Studies show that UWB devices operating at their allowed peak power densities could interfere with C-band reception at distances up to 4.4 kilometers between a UWB device and a satellite earth station,” WB said. “Given this interference potential, it is highly likely that widespread deployment of UWB devices under current technical rules would cause significant disruption to television network distribution.” AOL Time Warner also raised issue of peak emission limits and impact on C-band. “Because the C-band frequencies are used for video program distribution for nearly all other cable and broadcast television networks, it is imperative that further analysis be done, and appropriate technical revisions be made in the FCC’s UWB rules, to ensure that UWB technology can be deployed without disrupting cable service to millions of consumers,” AOL said. Separately, Siemens is seeking several minor changes in rules for its 24 GHz short-range vehicular radar system. That system provides crash detection and collision warnings. System involves pulsed frequency-hopping radar that uses “independent time and frequency multiplexing technique,” Siemens said in FCC filing. Among changes company is seeking is modification of UWB transmitter as intentional radiator that has UWB bandwidth equal to or greater than 500 MHz to allow Siemens system to occupy required 500 MHz bandwidth within 10 milliseconds.

FCC inquiry on receiver performance requirements is “imminent,” Office of Engineering & Technology Chief Edmond Thomas told reporters Thurs. He outlined next steps to follow up on Spectrum Policy Task Force report, including proposals on software defined radio and “interference temperature.” He said ultra-wideband (UWB) agenda item for Feb. 13 meeting wouldn’t relax or stiffen requirements for new technology. He said FCC would test real-world UWB devices this year, with decisions on whether rules should be altered likely next year.

President Bush named former NTIA Dir. Janice Obuchowski ambassador to World Radio Conference (WRC) 2003, which starts in June. Her appointment had been long anticipated, although Administration had missed self-imposed deadline of finalizing choice by start of WRC Conference Preparatory Meeting in Nov. Obuchowski, also former FCC official, told us U.S. preparations for Geneva meeting would make this “best prepared-for conference to date” and singled out last week’s govt.-industry agreement on 5 GHz as “breakthrough.”

Industry and key govt. agencies, including FCC and Defense Dept., bridged impasse more quickly than expected last week on harmonizing international spectrum for wireless local area networks at 5 GHz, industry and govt. sources said. New U.S. position is expected to clear way for potential compromises with administrations in Europe and elsewhere on how to make way for Wi-Fi at 5 GHz at the World Radio Conference (WRC) in June in Geneva. Before reaching accord, U.S. govt. and industry interests had struggled to find balance between protecting military radars at 5 GHz and making way for harmonized spectrum for Wi-Fi.

Mobile satellite service (MSS) providers will have option to use ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) to supplement their satellite services under certain conditions, FCC said Thurs. Text of order wasn’t available by our deadline, but news release outlined key points, which included 8 different gating criteria and covered interference concerns for 2-GHz and L-band. Commission also adopted rulemaking on Big Leo band to address additional spectrum issues. As part of 5 interlocking items released Thurs., Commission reallocated 30 MHz from MSS band at 2 GHz for 3G wireless. CTIA still called actions “split decision for consumers,” saying it was likely to challenge ATC order.

Boeing will dispose of 2 GHZ mobile satellite service (MSS) geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite by moving bird into storage orbit, company said Jan. 17. All stored energy on satellite will be “depleted or safely secured,” it told Commission. Boeing MSS satellites are due for critical design review in 6 months.

Wi-Fi Alliance said first round of 5 GHz IEEE (Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers) 802.11a-based products passed Wi-Fi interoperability certification testing. It said it certified 8 products from 6 different companies based on 3 different IEEE 802.11a chipsets. One of products was dual band product (802.11a and 802.11b), Wi-Fi Alliance said.