Chairman Wheeler Announces Staff Appointments
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced the appointment of Tim Brennan as the FCC’s Chief Economist and Clete Johnson as Chief Counsel for Cyber Security in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. Chairman Wheeler noted that Brennan’s background in regulation, competition, and monopoly issues along with Johnson’s expertise in working with the private sector will be assets to the Commission. Read More
Category: In the newsWireless Telecommunications Bureau Announces Part 90 Signal Boosters Registration Tool
A Part 90 Class B signal booster registration tool is available at www.fcc.gov/signal-boosters/registration allowing operators to register their devices. For more information contact the FCC Licensing Support Hotline at (877) 480-3201 or submit an online help request at https://esupport.fcc.gov/onlinerequest.htm. Public Notice
Category: In the newsCommunications Act Amendments?
In light of the significant changes in technology in recent years, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has requested answers to several questions on how Congress should modernize the laws governing the communications and technology sector. Responses are due January 31.
Category: In the newsFCC Fails to Clarify EWA’s Request Seeking PS Analyses
The FCC declined to provide much assistance in response to EWA’s earlier request seeking FCC confirmation of the analysis PS coordinators should conduct when evaluating public safety waiver requests to use I/B frequencies. The Commission acknowledged that public safety applicants might not be required to share PS frequencies if doing so would cause an unacceptable degradation of service to incumbent or prospective users. The letter did not distinguish between the rights of I/B and public safety entities in its analysis, however, and arguably stands for the proposition that I/B applicants can seek waivers to use public safety frequencies with an appropriate showing. Whether such requests would actually be given serious consideration and in what time period is unknown.
Weld County and Flathead County waivers to use I/B frequencies remain pending at the FCC following objections raised by EWA.
Category: In the newsEWA’s Conditional Licensing Waiver Extended
The FCC granted EWA’s request to further extend the conditional licensing waiver for Industrial/Business applications in the bands above 470 MHz until June 30, 2014. EWA noted in its request that while the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau processing time had improved since the original request was filed, speed-of-service was still relatively slow, in part due to the October 2013 government shutdown.
Category: EWA On Your Side173 MHz VRS Systems Require Careful Management
Recognizing that the shared use of VHF channels by incumbent and prospective data telemetry systems and public safety vehicular repeater systems within the same geographic coverage areas is a non-starter, EWA has recommended that very specific frequency coordination procedures be adopted to ensure compatibility. EWA will be filing more detailed recommendations in Reply Comments on January 31.
These comments are in response to suggested FCC rule changes that would expand the number of frequencies available for Vehicular Repeater Systems (VRS) by modifying Sections 90.20 and 90.175 to permit low power voice operation on six 173 MHz remote control and telemetry channels currently shared by Industrial/Business (I/B) and Public Safety (PS) licensees. EWA Comments
Category: EWA On Your SideEWA Requests Dismissal of 900 MHz Applications
EWA filed an “Informal Opposition” with the FCC seeking dismissal of forty-four (44) applications seeking access to 900 MHz Industrial/Business (I/B) channels on the basis that “the applicants are demonstrably ineligible for the frequencies proposed”. The frequencies requested are allocated under FCC Rule Section 90.617(c) which excludes Special Mobile Radio (SMR) systems. EWA points out that although these applicants specify a YU, trunked Business Radio Service code in their applications, responses to Question 41 on Form 601 and Question 2 on Schedule H make it clear that they intend to provide a commercial service, a service labeled SMR in the 900 MHz band. Further, the applicants confirm their status on Schedule H stating that the spectrum will be used to “provide wireless services to Part 90 eligibles”, which is, EWA asserts, the very definition of an SMR.
EWA also requested that the FCC may wish to investigate party of interest issues, “as the control point locations for all of these applications are identical.”
Category: EWA On Your Side