FCC Goes Paperless
Under new FCC procedures, all licensees will be able to access their licenses in “active” status by logging into Universal Licensing System (ULS) or the Antenna Registration System (ASR).
The Public Notice notes that “…all commercial, private and public safety wireless service licensees and ASR registrants will access their current official authorizations in “Active” status only through License Manager in ULS or ASR Dashboard in the ASR System or by email, unless a licensee or registrant notifies the Commission that it wishes to receive its official authorizations on paper through the U.S. Postal Service”.
In addition to reminding licensees that they can continue to access unofficial reference copies of authorizations online via both systems, the Notice also indicates that once granted, a licensee can also get an electronic version of their license via email if a valid email is provided at the time of application submittal.
The effective date for the adopted procedures will become effective 30 days after publication of this Public Notice in the Federal Register.
LMCC Supports Part 22 Rule Flexibility
The LMCC filed comments with the FCC suggesting thirteen (13) modifications to the Part 22, Subpart E, Paging and Radiotelephone Service rules to “align them more closely with the Part 90 rules governing VHF and UHF channels”, which will, in the LMCC’s opinion, facilitate the more seamless integration of this spectrum into Part 90 PLMR systems.
Among the changes, the LMCC recommends deleting subsection 20.9 (a)(6), which stipulates that Public Safety and Industrial/Business operators are treated as common carriers, a modification which would eliminate an unnecessary burden on applicants and FCC staff. The LMCC also supports modifying the rules to allow operations that utilize more than 20 kHz bandwidth within any individual channel, provided they conform to the emission limitations in Section 22.359 and also recommended authorizing entirely flexible bandwidth utilization within a block of contiguous channels, provided that the emission limitations of Section 22.359 are satisfied at each outer band edge.
Category: EWA On Your SideEWA Supports NPRM to Clarify Wi-Fi Use Rules
Calling it an issue “of vital concern to the Commission and to the American public”, EWA has filed comments recommending that the FCC initiate a rulemaking proceeding to clarify the freedom of consumers to use FCC-approved devices when and where they choose and the right, indeed, the necessity, of allowing Wi-Fi network operators to use FCC-authorized equipment to deter serious attacks on and permit appropriate management of their networks. The comments were filed in response to a petition filed by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Marriott International and Ryman Hospital Properties seeking a declaratory ruling that Section 333 of the Communications Act does not prohibit a Wi-Fi network operator from using FCC-authorized equipment to manage its network, even if doing so prevents guests on the operator’s property from using unlicensed Part 15 devices as Wi-Fi hotspots. It also requests that the FCC initiate a rulemaking proceeding to make explicit in its rules the extent, if any, to which Wi-Fi operators are permitted to “interfere” with unlicensed Part 15 devices under those circumstances. In their comments, EWA points out that its members, like all Americans, are “keenly aware of growing cybersecurity threats, but also rely on ubiquitous Internet access to conduct their business activities, as well as personal matters”. The matter, EWA believes, addresses “important public policy objectives” and in EWA’s opinion, the current rules do not address the issue clearly, providing “appropriate notice of their rights and obligations to both consumers and operators”. A rulemaking, EWA states, in which these issues can be fully and openly vetted, is the appropriate vehicle for resolving this multi-facted question.