Senate will resume debate today (June 24) on defense authorization bill (S-2514) that would recognize need to bolster Dept. of Defense (DoD) space assets, but addresses cost overruns and scheduling delays of various satellite programs. Bill and accompanying Senate Armed Services Committee report (S. Rpt. 107-151) contain respective recommendations to eliminate, meet or increase President Bush’s FY 2003 funding request for satellite communications and surveillance initiatives.
Dept. of Defense (DoD) unveiled details of how it wanted to develop advanced information-management technology with help of private sector researchers. Defense officials in recent months have expressed need for unique approaches in how to process and intelligently disseminate data over DoD’s evolving Global Information Grid. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) last week issued formal call for proposals to develop “cognitive” devices and systems, or machines that “know what they are doing” and can streamline delivery of voice, video and data communications to warfighters and policymakers. DARPA, whose predecessor agency invented Internet, acknowledged there were major research challenges to overcome before cognitive IT processing became reality. However, once such processing were attained, it would “provide substantial new opportunities in all sectors, encompassing critical defense, industrial and commercial applications,” DARPA said.
Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) and United Telecom Council (UTC) asked FCC for 60 additional days to file comments on questions raised by Commission’s Spectrum Policy Task Force. UTC told FCC that current comment deadlines, of July 8 for initial filings and July 23 for replies, are too short “given the magnitude of the questions raised in the notice.” In part, UTC said July 8 is same day that reply comments are due in FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to explore ways to mitigate interference to public safety at 800 MHz. Comments are also due that day on NPRM that FCC issued on allocating 50 MHz of spectrum to public safety at 4.9 GHz. “The questions posed in the notice are broad and sweeping and appear to signal a profound examination of the FCC’s spectrum management policies,” Commission said. LMCC backed UTC request for more time, saying “the amount of time provided for comment is insufficient given the scope of the questions being asked.”
Dept. of Defense later this month will seek bids for land mobile radio (LMR) support project in Kosovo and former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Defense Information Systems Agency’s Acquisition Directorate-Europe expects to issue solicitation June 24 for operation and maintenance of LMR repeater network in those regions -- waplesj@sembach.disa.mil.
“Spectrum is too important a resource for administrative distribution, all spectrum should be in the market: Privately owned, sold and leased,” Gerald Faulhaber told Technology Advisory Council (TAC) at FCC hq Wed. Faulhaber, prof. of public policy and management at Wharton School of U. of Pa., also was FCC chief economist 2 years ago. He reconciled view of economists and engineers on govt. spectrum policy, saying both groups disliked spectrum allocation by “administrative fiat” but had “diametrically opposed” solutions on policy. Economists view U.S. system of distributing spectrum as analogous to former Soviet Union system of planned economy, Faulhaber said: “Spectrum scarcity is artificial, induced by regulation.” Economists have called for spectrum auctions for decades, he said, citing testimony to FCC by economist Ronald Coase in 1959: “Finally in 1993, Congress decided to experiment with the first auctions.” But to date auctions “have distributed a very small portion of available spectrum, only 120 MHz,” he said. He called for auctions of all spectrum including that used by Dept. of Defense and public safety. “Governments usually buy their own units -- police cars, computers, etc. - - with tax dollars. Why should spectrum be different?” Faulhaber asked. He compared Part 15 unregulated spectrum with public park. “This is a place where anyone can play as long as they follow the rules. Governments build parks by buying land, or in the case of Part 15, they would buy spectrum for public use.” Turning to engineers, he said as group they were as frustrated economists except that “they critique the system based on new radio technologies.” Examples include ultra-wide band, which “trades power for bandwidth,” and software defined radio. “These new technologies suggest many users can use the same bandwidth, a ‘commons’ model vs. the ownership model preferred by economists.” Despite inertia of current system in which license holders have vested interest, Faulhaber proposed 2 models for spectrum in free market: (1) Ownership without interference. Others would be allowed to use spectrum but not interfere with owner’s “absolute use priority.” “This is the spectrum equivalent of an easement on land,” he said. Model would depend on agile radio devices that could check whether spectrum was free and “ask” permission to make transmission. Proposal raised many questions from TAC group on enforcement of noninterference. Disputes would move from FCC to courts, Faulhaber admitted, suggesting that special “spectrum courts” be established. Spectrum “property rights need to be spelled out in great detail,” he said. (2) Ownership with leasing. Owners of spectrum would be allowed to lease under variety of terms -- including in real time, the equivalent of “spot market,” Faulhaber said. In either scenario, moving all spectrum to markets in combination with dynamic allocation “would free up so much spectrum its cost essentially would be zero.” With exception of “prime” spectrum such as cellular-friendly and legacy applications such as broadcast, which still would have value, wide availability of nearly free spectrum “would be a de facto commons model,” he said. Next scheduled meeting of TAC is Sept. 18.
Advanced radio technology being used to bolster interoperability of Dept. of Defense (DoD) land, sea and satellite communications systems eventually will make its way into commercial markets, said Kevin Kane, Harris Corp.’s business development dir.-U.S. govt. Harris, which is primary contractor for DoD’s joint tactical radio system (JTRS) program, had provided some equipment to govt. rescue operations after Sept. 11 terrorist attack because of such capabilities, he said Wed. in news conference at Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Assn. (AFCEA) convention in Washington. That technology served as “virtual retransmission bridge” and improved interoperability “of dissimilar radios used by different agencies,” he said. “We will see more of that” getting in hands of other govt. organizations, but Harris must focus first on delivering JTRS to military market, Kane said.
Several senators called for national spectrum management policy as panelists at Senate Commerce Committee hearing Tues. discussed needs for more spectrum by both military and commercial sector. However, panelists weren’t able to say precisely how much spectrum would be needed, nor were they able to estimate how quickly a national policy could be developed. But legislation probably would be part of spectrum management overhaul, said Senate Communications Subcommittee Chmn. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Wyden (D-Ore.). Sen. Burns (R-Mont.) said he would be introducing spectrum management legislation after General Accounting Office (GAO) releases “comprehensive” report on issue.
NTIA Dir. Nancy Victory called Tues. for redoubling of efforts to create “workable plan” for public safety interoperability. At start of 2-day NTIA summit on technical issues related to public safety interoperability, she said: “Without interoperability, our public safety community is left with a Tower of Babel in which no one can understand what anyone else is saying or learn what others are doing.” Victory said NTIA would work “closely” with new White House Office of Management & Budget initiative, Project Safecom, on which Federal Emergency Management Agency recently took lead (CD June 10 p2). Project is focusing on issues such as federal-to-federal and federal-to-state public safety interoperability. NTIA’s spectrum research lab in Boulder has been tasked with standards development for public safety digital land mobile radio (LMR) communications systems, she said at conference co-sponsored with Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN). Lab will conduct interoperability testing of systems “in the near future,” Victory said. As for NTIA Spectrum Summit in April, during which agency joined with industry and other parts of federal govt. in discussing potential changes in federal policy in that area, Victory said NTIA expected to have report on solutions stemming from summit discussions “in coming weeks.” Public safety needs will play “preeminent” role in that broader review of spectrum management processes, she said. In other spectrum areas, Victory reiterated that Administration had sought delay of 700 MHz auction, for which FCC recently delayed upper band bidding by 7 months while keeping June 19 date intact for lower band. “Negotiations continue on Capitol Hill regarding whether or not the auction will go forward,” Victory said. Following NTIA’s public safety interoperability summit, she said it would examine recommendations that emerged from conference in coordination with FCC and PSWN, which is program run by Depts. of Treasury and Justice. NTIA’s Public Safety Program office also will examine spectrum needs of public safety users and work with FCC to address them, she said. In separate session, Rick Murphy, PSWN program manager for Treasury Dept., said one interoperability issue that beset some local agencies was large proportion of 3 million public safety officers in U.S. who were volunteers. “They don’t get much money to buy equipment,” Murphy said, and often accepted hand-me-down gear from their professional counterparts. Those different generations of equipment make it harder to achieve interoperability in some cases as new gear comes on line, he said. Robert Lee, PSWN program manager for Justice Dept., cited several tough questions he said lay ahead for public safety operators, including funding and spectrum needs and whether incentive programs should be created to promote interoperability solutions among public safety systems. Lee said grant funding or seed money could be used in that area, including from homeland security funding proposals now moving through Congress.
Ill. legislature passed 2 telecom bills and sent them to Gov. George Ryan (R). First measure (SB-1646) would make it crime to manufacture, distribute, possess or use any hardware or software device for stealing landline or wireless voice, data or video services. Violations involving more than 10 illegal devices would be upgraded automatically to felony from misdemeanor. Penalties would be greater of actual damages or fine of up to $50,000 per unlawful device. Bill would authorize prosecution by state or by carrier. Second measure voted (HB-6012) would amend telecom tax laws by holding telecom companies harmless for tax payment mistakes resulting from faulty written information provided by municipalities. Bill also would require local govts. to supply telecom carriers with list of zip codes on request and to notify telecom companies within 60 days of any changes in postal addresses or zip codes resulting from annexation or de-annexation of land.
Spectrum Policy Task Force formed by FCC Chmn. Powell teed up far-reaching questions for comment Thurs. and provoked concerns by Comrs. Copps and Martin that group had drafted public notice “without Commission guidance.” Detailed notice posed spectrum policy questions ranging from Part 15 overcrowding to whether rural spectrum should fall under different policy rubric than urban areas. But Copps and Martin said in statement that those “critically important issues” would have been better addressed in Notice of Inquiry approved by full Commission. “We also fear that without Commission input critical issues may be left out of consideration,” they said, noting rural spectrum issues were given relatively short shrift. Their concerns were raised at time when Powell-led FCC has created several high-level task forces to address issues such as homeland security and DTV transition.