Enterprise Wireless Insider® Volume 6, Issue 18

Three More Narrowband Extension Requests

The FCC granted narrowband extension requests to the State of Oregon and Hawaii County, Hawaii.  The State requested and was granted until November 1, 2013, to complete rebanding, and the County was given until September 30, 2014.

The City of New York has requested a narrowband extension noting that given the fact that it is no longer required to narrowband FDNY and NYPD T-Band systems that are “closely interwoven” with its 450-470 MHz operations, that they be granted a narrowbanding extension request to two years after the FCC finalizes its T-Band competitive bidding initiative for T-Band spectrum, basically 2025. The City also requested an extension until December 31, 2014, for its other operations.
 

FCC Warns of “Aggressive Enforcement” in Latest Advisory

In its most recent narrowbanding compliance announcement, the FCC’s language included the following statement:

What are the penalties for failure to comply with the January 1, 2013 deadline? The Enforcement Bureau is committed to aggressively enforcing the narrowbanding transition deadline and violators may be subject to enforcement action. Penalties for non-compliance may include license revocation, and/or monetary forfeitures of up to $16,000 for each such violation or each day of a continuing violation, and up to $112,500 for any single act or failure to act.

EWA has previously reported that the LMCC has advised the FCC that effective February 1, 2013, the frequency advisory committees intend to ignore for coordination purposes, including for purposes of identifying FB8 channels, any license that does not evidence compliance with the January 1, 2013, narrowband requirement and does not have a pending waiver request on file. 

Narrowbanding Deadline Won’t Change

During APCO’s 2012 conference, David Furth, Deputy Chief of the PSHSB, noted that licensees who must narrowband should “get the word out to your friends and neighbors.” During his remarks, Mr. Furth added that “the narrowbanding deadline won’t change and that the Commission will enforce its rules.”  Mr. Furth also noted that requests for waivers “submitted in the 11th hour” would be looked upon with skepticism and most likely not be granted.  
Urgent Communications

Let EWA help you complete the narrowbanding process for you or your customers. Visit Narrowbanding information page, review the Frequently Asked Questions, or email EWA any specific questions. EWA can assist with determining and establishing narrowbanding compliance.
 

Industry Struggles for Vehicular Repeater Channels

The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau is now seeking comment on an application and waiver request filed back in January 2012 by the Central Ohio Joint Fire District (COJFD) to use frequency 172.225 MHz for its vehicular repeater application. This particular frequency is allocated for Federal use and available to state licensees for forest firefighting activities in areas west of the Mississippi River only. Not surprisingly, COJFD stated that its vehicular repeater equipment requires a frequency that is 10 MHz removed from their other operational frequencies, and that their operations are, well, “east” of the Mississippi River.   FCC Public Notice

Steps for Mexico Border Region Post-Reconfiguration Detailed

The FCC has released the post-reconfiguration band plan for the Mexican Border Region and the steps by which channels within systems will be re-tuned to implement that plan.  The Order also details an ambitious schedule for negotiating agreements between incumbents and Sprint Nextel.  The deadlines track those established for the Canadian Border Regions, which, in numerous instances, have been extended.   FCC NPRM

FirstNet Chairman Named

On August 20, the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced the first FirstNet Board of Directors.  The twelve individuals chosen include public safety and wireless experts, with Sam Ginn, a former Chairman/CEO of Pacific Telesis, and Chairman of AirTouch, selected as Chairman of the Board.  In related news, DOC issued an RFP seeking Advisory and Management Support Services in support of FirstNet’s activities. 

Inevitable – On-Board Use of Wireless Devices Being Reviewed

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is revisiting its procedures and policies regarding the use of electronic portable devices during any phase of flight. The FAA and DOT have recently issued a notice requesting comments about the problems “associated with determining if and when PEDs can be used.” The intention is to “assess whether more widespread use of PED during flight is appropriate.”   FAA Notice

FCC Regulatory Fees Decrease

The FCC has lowered certain regulatory fees assessed for Public Land Mobile Radio Service license assignments. Effective September 4, 2012, the fee for “Shared Use” licenses at 30-470 MHz will decrease from $260 to $210 ($15/year for a ten-year license, plus a $60 application fee); and for Exclusive Use licenses at 470-512 and 800 and 900 MHz from $460 to $410 ($35/year for the ten-year license, plus a $60 application fee). These FCC fees are collected by EWA and forwarded to the FCC upon license application submission.

The regulatory fee changes were finalized in July 2012. The FCC plans to collect over $339 million in fees for fiscal year 2012 which will be used to “recover the costs of … enforcement activities, policy and rulemaking activities, user information services, and international activities.”
 

T-Band Repurposing Mandate – Public Safety Voices its Concern

APCO Regulatory Counsel, Robert Gurss, in a presentation during the recent APCO conference noted that the T-Band reallocation mandate by Congress is unworkable and “not thought out well enough.” Mr. Gurss noted that the spectrum reform legislation which requires public safety T-band licensees to vacate their 470-512 MHz spectrum operations within nine years significantly underestimates the value of T-Band spectrum for Public Safety users.  Mr. Gurss added that the planned auction to raise funds to accommodate the public safety required exodus from the 470-512 MHz band would be insufficient, the two-year time period allowed public safety users to vacate the spectrum would not be enough time, and alternative spectrum was not identified.

FCC Issues 700 MHz Public Safety Reconsideration

Based on advice received from NTIA, the FCC stated that it will now entertain requests for Special Temporary Authority (STA) from public safety entities that seek to build out 10 x 10 MHz LTE systems rather than just 5 x 5 networks. This reconsideration contemplates the use of spectrum for networks consisting of not only existing public safety broadband spectrum within the 763-768/793-798 MHz band, but the 700 MHz D Block within the 758-763/788-793 MHz band as well. NTIA had stated in its letter to the FCC that authorizing STA operations on a 10 x 10 basis “would further the critical goal of advanced interoperability as well as mitigating cost concerns associated with the deployment of a nationwide public safety broadband network.”    See FCC 12-96 

LMCC Board to Meet with the FCC

At the request of the LMCC Board of Directors, staff members from both the Wireless Telecommunications and Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureaus will be meeting with the LMCC Board on September 12 to discuss frequency coordination and licensing policies associated with trunked radio systems generally, and specifically the implementation of the LMCC’s adopted “Adjacent Channel Contours Values” (ACCV) table.  The ACCV table was prepared and adopted by the LMCC membership to facilitate the identification of exclusive use channels for use within centralized or hybrid trunked systems.  EWA’s Mark Crosby, a member of the LMCC Board of Directors, will be attending.

Inaugural Meeting of EWA’s T-Band Users Forum

EWA has announced that it will be convening the first formal meeting of its T-Band Users Forum the afternoon of October 11th during the Enterprise Wireless 2012 Leadership Summit at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee.  Past, present and pending FCC initiatives that will affect T-Band licensees, particularly Industrial/Business entities, will be discussed during this special meeting.  All interested parties are invited to attend.  For further details, contact Louise Hippolyte at louise.hippolyte@enterprisewireless.org.  To register for the networking, educational and exhibit events at the Enterprise Wireless 2012 Leadership Summit, October 10-12, please visit event home page.   Press Release