Narrowband Compliance - Verify All License Data!
When it is determined that a license needs updating to comply with the FCC’s narrowbanding requirement, it is a good idea to take the time to verify all license administrative and technical data to ensure the license is in complete rule compliance, not just narrowbanding compliance. Check frequencies, antenna location addresses, antenna heights, geographic coordinates, contact information, power levels and any other data that may have changed over the years. This is a great time to conduct this necessary rule. As always, contact EWA if you have any questions about license requirements and FCC rules.
Category:Tuition Increases Forthcoming
Glen Iris Baptist School (Glen Iris), licensee of two broadcast stations in Birmingham, Alabama, was issued a Notice of Apparent Liability and Forfeiture for failing to file the Station’s Children’s Programming Report with the Commission and placing this information in their public inspection files. Per the Commissions’ rules under Section 73.3526, each commercial broadcast licensee is required to “maintain a public inspection file containing specific types of information related to station operations” such as a Children’s Television Programming quarterly report which is also required to be placed in the Station’s public files.
Although the Station responded to the Notice explaining that their failure to meet the requirements was caused by having a small staff, going through a transition period when their long-time manager left and lack of knowledge on the part of new staff, the Commission responded as it has in the past, stating that “human error and inadvertence” does not serve as a basis for excusing a licensee’s rule violation, and as such Glen Iris was issued a total fine of $26,000; $13,000 for each Station. Tuition increases may be forthcoming.
FCC Has Zero Tolerance for Jammers
The FCC has issued an Enforcement Advisory alerting consumers of the illegal use, sales and importing of jammers and warns that it has a “zero tolerance policy in this area and will take aggressive action against violators” and notes that penalties can exceed $1 million per violation. Various jammer devices include GPS and cell phone jammers, text phone blockers which are used to block or interfere with authorized communications.
Category: Enforcement CornerStrange Sightings
Altaphon, a company that holds a number of low band paging licenses that it won at auction that provide geographic area coverages in several Western States, petitioned the FCC to grant a waiver to permit it to operate both mobile and base transmitters so that it may provide a range of services including conventional radiotelephone and dispatch services, public safety facilities monitoring and interoperability gateway services. What makes this matter a bit strange is that the FCC Public Notice seeking comment was released nearly five years after Altaphon’s initial waiver request in 2007. That’s a long time to wait, and it would have been unlikely that the FCC would have received comments back in 2007, and it remains unlikely that they will receive comments now. Grant the waiver already!
In other strange news, the State of Vermont had filed ten applications and a request for waiver to use certain non-public safety Part 22 frequencies for public safety communications. Unfortunately for the State, and we are unsure how they missed this, but the frequencies they sought were not unused, but in fact were licensed to Central Vermont Communications. The FCC in its notice stated simply, “Because these Part 22 frequencies are previously licensed, we deny Vermont’s waiver request and dismiss the captioned applications.” Some decisions are easier than others.
Category: In the news
Déjà Vu – State of Maine Public Notice
The FCC has released its second Public Notice seeking comment on the State of Maine’s request to use non-public safety VHF spectrum to accommodate the deployment of its state-wide communications system. The first comment cycle sought comment on the viability of using 160 MHz VHF spectrum that is available for primarily for railroad operations. Industry viewpoints filed at the time evidenced no interest in compromise among the major players. EWA had suggested that the parties consider sharing spectrum as technological advances certainly can support system sharing without jeopardizing reliability or security. This time around, the FCC is seeking comment on the State of Maine’s waiver request to use general industrial/business spectrum that falls within the 150 MHz band. EWA will engage again when comments are due on March 27th.
Category: In the newsAmerican Time Disagrees with EWA’s Comments
Earlier this year EWA filed comments at the FCC in response to a request for waiver submitted by American Time and Signal (ATS) that sought agency permission to license 20-40 watt base stations as mobile units under an MO6 (private carrier station class) on certain 450-470 MHz channels that manage clock systems. Rather than waive the rules to accommodate the technical parameters ATS has chosen for its products and customer operations, EWA said that it would be preferable for ATS to conform its operations to the existing Part 90 licensing requirements or modify its products to operate in alternative spectrum. In response to EWA’s filing, ATS advised the Commission that EWA provided “no sound basis for declining to grant the relief” requested, and asked that its waiver be granted. ATS Reply Comments
Category: In the newsNew Public-Private Initiative To Boost Collaboration
Chairman Genachowski has announced a new Public-Private Initiative to drive collaboration among government and private sector entities, including non-profit organizations, on broadband-related national priorities. The initiative is meant to advance key broadband goals outlined in the National Broadband Plan, including broadband adoption, digital literacy, technology and education, cybersecurity, public safety, job creation, and broadband and healthcare.
Category: In the newsPublic Safety Coordinator PSCA Formed
It became official on Monday, the Public Safety Communications Associates (PSCA) is now open for public safety frequency coordination business. PSCA is the united effort of the FCC-certified frequency advisory committees Forestry Conservation Communications Association (FCCA) and the International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA)/International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Now under one roof, governed by representatives from both FCCA and IMSA/IAFC, managed by Ralph Haller, and headquartered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, PSCA will be the frequency advisory committee with primary jurisdiction over those channels allocated for use by fire, emergency medical and forestry conservation entities. PSCA will also provide frequency coordination services for local government channel assignments. Both FCCA and IMSA/IAFC will retain their respective advocacy and educational program efforts. PSCA may be contacted at 855-803-1465 or at info@frequencycoordination.org.
Category: In the newsEWA Extends Its Relationship with FCCA to PSCA
Effective March 12, 2012, EWA is electronically submitting its public safety customer FCC license applications to the newly formed Public Safety Communications Associates (PSCA) (See this article). Since May of 2007, under a services agreement with the Forestry Conservation Communications Association (FCCA), EWA had been sending FCCA a significant level of its public safety application volume for frequency coordination and certification. Given the formation of PSCA, a joint collaboration by the FCCA and the International Municipal Signal Association/International Association of Fire Chiefs (IMSA/IAFC), EWA has elected to utilize those FCC-certified frequency advisory committee services now offered by the PSCA.
Category: EWA On Your SideMultiplicity of Topics
In a recent meeting with the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus, Mark E. Crosby, EWA President and Liz Sachs, EWA Regulatory Counsel, discussed a number of outstanding regulatory issues of critical interest to EWA members. Topics of interest included the agency’s requirement to accommodate digital system station identification rules; clarification of TETRA frequency coordination and licensing processes; the spectrum rights of non-compliant narrowband systems after January 1, 2013; the need to lift the system licensing freeze at 900 MHz; and spectrum efficiency opportunities associated with permitting use of the 12.5 kHz interstitial Industrial/Business channels at 800 MHz. MORE
Category: EWA On Your SideReducing Barriers to Innovation
In response to Sprint Nextel’s proposal to deploy CDMA technology in the 800 MHz band, the FCC’s proposes to ”eliminate a legacy channel spacing and bandwidth limitation” for 800 MHz ESMR licensees in the 858.5-869 MHz band holding geographic area EA licenses. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking states that making this change is expected to “reduce barriers to innovation and investment in new technologies and to promote greater spectrum efficiency.” This provision will only be applicable in NPSPAC regions where all 800 MHz public safety licensees have completed band reconfiguration. Until reconfiguration is completed, ESMR licensees will only be permitted to exceed the channel spacing and bandwidth limitation in the 858.5-866 MHz band. EWA plans to support this FCC recommendation.
Category: In the news