“Short Dawg” Identified
In a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, Alex Alcime, a disk jockey in Fort Myers, Florida, alias “DJ Short Dawg,” was fined $10,000 for willful and repeated violations for operating an unlicensed frequency at signals that “exceeded the limits for operation under Part 15 of the Commission’s rules.” Alcime was broadcasting on an unlicensed radio broadcast frequency. He assisted the FCC identification and tracking processes by advertising his services over the Internet.
Category: Enforcement CornerLost in the Mail? FCC says: “Waiver Denied”
The Commission denied a license renewal application that was submitted along with a waiver request from Hawaiian Electric Company, LLC (HECO). The application was filed on February 2, 2011, two months after the license had expired. In its waiver request, HECO stated that the renewal application was delayed because the staff member responsible for this requirement had retired and a subsequent reorganization failed to identify a replacement employee. The mail system was also noted as being remiss in circulating the renewal notice to a responsible party. Evidently, these explanations were insufficient and the FCC denied the request for reinstatement. FCC Letter to HECO
Category: In the newsAmoco Requesting 900 MHz Waiver
Amoco, the multinational chemical and petroleum products company, submitted a request in June 2010 for a waiver to permit it to utilize three 896-901/935-940 MHz (900 MHz) band itinerant use channels for its Texas City, Texas plant. The FCC seeks comments by May 25 and replies by May 31, 2011. Amoco stated that the purpose of the proposed channel expansion is to eliminate channel congestion and provide more reliable communications on the existing system for the chemical plant, adjoining refinery, and waterways that serve as Amoco’s terminal port. FCC Public Notice
Category: In the newsFCC Commissioner To Join NBC Universal
Republican Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker announced her resignation from the FCC effective June 2011 to join NBC Universal as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. FCC News
Category: In the newsEmergency Alerting Begins in New York City
By the end of 2011, cellular carriers will provide customers the ability to receive geographically targeted text messages alerting them of possible or imminent threats to their safety. The Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN), which takes advantage of the cell broadcast standard, was announced May 11 by FCC Chairman Genachowski, NYC Mayor Bloomberg, and executives of the largest cellular carriers. The technology, initially launching in New York City and other larger cities in the U.S., will ensure that emergency alerts receive highest priority for delivery and are not delayed by regular customer voice and text messaging services. This is a result of the 2006 Warning, Alert and Response Network Act, requiring carriers to activate such capabilities by April 2012. FCC News
Category: In the newsGAO Issues Report on NTIA
It seems that at least according to the Government Accounting Office (GAO), NTIA could significantly improve its spectrum management operations. In an April 2011 report entitled “NTIA Planning and Processes Need Strengthening to Promote the Efficient Use of Spectrum by Federal Agencies,” GAO suggested that NTIA should develop an updated strategic plan, examine its assignment review processes to determine if the current approach can be improved, and establish internal controls to ensure the accuracy of agency-reported data. The Department of Commerce concurred with GAO’s recommendations to examine the review processes, but cited competing priorities.
In response to this GAO report, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. Henry Waxman, who asked for the report in the first place, commented that the GAO report “highlights the enormous challenges confronting the Administration in making more federal spectrum available for commercial wireless broadband use. GAO identifies several areas for improvement and I know that the Department of Commerce takes the GAO recommendations seriously. At the same time, NTIA should be commended for its diligent efforts to develop and implement President Obama’s plan to repurpose significant amounts of federal spectrum for commercial wireless broadband use, despite significant resource constraints.” Rep. Waxman continued by stating, “We should act promptly in a bipartisan manner to authorize incentive auctions, start the construction of a nationwide public safety broadband network, and conduct vigorous oversight of federal and commercial spectrum utilization.”