Enterprise Wireless Insider, Volume 13, Issue 3

Crosby on T-Band at IWCE

At IWCE 2019, Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) President Mark Crosby will be part of a panel of experts to discuss T-Band and alternatives for users that are required by law to exit the band by 2021. Join him for the conversation in Room N256 on Tuesday, March 5, 2019, at 1:30 p.m. local time. Learn more and register online.

Pai Announces 900 MHz NPRM

In a blog post, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai has announced that at the FCC meeting scheduled for March 15, he will propose “to make a segment of the 900 MHz band available for broadband.” In addition, Pai proposes, among other potential approaches, a “market-driven, voluntary exchange process that would allow existing licensees to agree on a plan for relocating incumbents and transitioning the band.”

On this announcement, Mark Crosby made the following statement:

“We are very pleased that the FCC has taken the next step toward creating a viable broadband opportunity for private enterprise users, and EWA members.  We look forward to working with the Commission in finalizing rules for this band, given the opportunity to develop broadband capabilities that serve the unique requirements of business enterprises. ”

Once the Commission officially adopts this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) during its March meeting, comment dates will be identified and, further information about the various proposals will be distributed to the membership.  

Public Safety Spectrum Approved for Business Enterprise

EWA applauds the FCC for granting a waiver request by Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend, LLC (Flint Hills) to use three UHF Public Safety (PS) Pool channels. Flint Hills, which operates one of the largest oil refineries in the United States, sought these channels only after exhausting all options for Industrial/Business (I/B) Pool spectrum and after ensuring that its system design and operations would limit the potential for interference. EWA certified the application for Flint Hills, filed comments supporting the waiver request, and filed reply comments responding to the lone opposer of the request, the Association of Public-Safety Officials-International, Inc. (APCO). The decision demonstrates the FCC’s commitment to not make a distinction between PS and I/B applicants when determining need for waiver relief.

On this matter, EWA President Mark Crosby stated: 

“This FCC decision just makes a lot of sense no matter one’s perspective.  There were no business enterprise frequencies remaining in the area that would accommodate Flint Hill’s technology of choice. There were public safety channels not in use, a number sufficient enough that after Flint Hills requirements were met, there are channels remaining for future public safety uses. In its Order granting Flint Hill Resource’s license, the FCC stated, ‘A grant of the request for waiver will permit Flint Hill Resources to provide a highly reliable, interference-free communications system which is critical in its daily operation and will assist in its fire protection duties on-site and in support of neighboring communities.’ Makes perfect sense.”

EWA Reviewing 6 GHz Industry Responses

Because of the recent shutdown of the federal government, the FCC extended to February 15 the Comment deadline for the NPRM proposing to allow unlicensed use in the 5.925-7.125 GHz (6 GHz) band while ensuring that the licensed services operating in the spectrum do not encounter interference and continue to function. Several industry organizations expressed concern about how out thousands of microwave links are expected to share spectrum with unlicensed broadband devices. The Commission seems to have total confidence that yet unnamed, yet to be certified Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) entities will be able to predict, identify, mitigate and eliminate interference without addressing economic, liability, administrative and reporting issues. The use of AFCs is a novel idea, it may even be a great idea, but it is not a tested regimen that has been put into place.  EWA will be filing Reply Comments on March 18. (ET 18-295/FCC 18-147) 

Iota Communications Opposes LMCC 800 MHz

Iota Communications, Inc. filed an opposition to the Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) Petition for Reconsideration regarding the FCC’s decision to use an F(50,10) interference contour when coordinating adjacent 800 MHz channels separated by 12.5 kHz.

In its comments, Iota (which formed via a consolidation of Solbright Group and M2M Spectrum Networks, LLC) argued that use of F(50,50) curves, as opposed to F(50,10), would block incumbents’ ability to modify their system parameters. We are unsure how using F(50/50) curves would make such a critical difference, but the point may be moot as we understand that the FCC  will insist that frequency advisory committees use F(50/10) contours during their analyses of 800 MHz interstitial channels.   

WTB Continues to Deny PS Extension Requests

The FCC continues to take a hard line on requests from Public Safety entities for extensions or waivers of construction deadlines for Part 22 VHF/UHF channels. On February 4, they denied the request from the State of South Dakota, but allowed the state to keep what it had constructed rather than terminate licenses in their entirety.  (DA 19-41)