Enterprise Wireless Insider® Volume 9, Issue 2

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EWA received a complaint from a radio dealer in New Jersey advising that one of their customers, who operated an analog system, was receiving substantial interference “bleeding through on their customer’s PL”, and monitoring revealed a 50% channel occupancy by the offending system. A co-channel frequency search identified a user licensed for digital voice emissions located 4.2 miles away. Contact information was provided to enable the two parties to work out a suitable resolution.

A Mystery in Connecticut

A water company started losing information on their VHF telemetry system due to strong adjacent data packet interruptions. A frequency search was performed on both the adjacent channel and co-channel frequencies and it was noted that there were no other licensed users on either frequency within a 150 mile radius.  The company stated that it would continue to monitor the situation suspecting that there was an unlicensed operator nearby.

Quick Identification

In early 2014 a school in Los Angeles began experiencing interference on its UHF channel. A co-channel frequency search revealed that the closest licensed user was located one mile away and using a properly licensed digital voice and data system. Further research showed the co-channel user had modified their license in September of 2014 to add the digital emission designators which coincided with the timeframe the interference began. The co-channel licensee contact information was provided to the school so they can work together to resolve the problem.

An Airline vs. a Fire Department

American Airlines of San Francisco, CA was issued a Notice of Violation following a harmful interference complaint by the Milpitas Fire Department to their licensed operations WNJP888 on 460.625 MHz, located at the San Francisco International Airport. American Airlines was cited for failing to take immediate action to cease operations, operating on an unauthorized frequency and not taking the necessary precautions to avoid causing harmful interference.

Intentional Wi-Fi Hot Spot Interference Spurs FCC Enforcement Action

The FCC Enforcement Bureau has noted increased incidents where commercial properties block consumers from using their own personal Wi-Fi hot spots on the premises has taken aggressive action in investigating these cases. The most recent case resulted in Marriott International, Inc. paying a civil penalty of $600,000 after admitting that the consumers it blocked on their premises posed no security threat to Marriott’s network. The Commission is investigating similar cases and will take the appropriate action against violators.  Public Notice

Even AT&T Must Keep Licenses in Order

AT&T was issued a fine of $640,000 for operating various wireless stations without the proper authorizations over three and a half to four years and for failing to provide license modifications to the FCC in a timely manner. The Commission notes that a sophisticated licensee such as AT&T should have properly reviewed its newly acquired licenses to ensure they were operating within the parameters of their license authorization.

Electronic Licensing Available February 17

The Commission will officially implement the program to provide further enhancements to the Commission's Universal Licensing System (ULS) and Antenna Structure System (ASR) on February 17 by providing authorized licenses through those systems or via email. Licensees will still have the option of receiving paper licenses by mail.  Public Notice

700 MHz Spectrum Reserved for Public Safety T-Band Licensees

Public Safety T-Band incumbents located within 80 km of one of the eleven cities where 470-512 MHz spectrum is available, will be granted a five year priority access to 700 MHz reserved channels for General Use under administration of the Regional Planning Committees (RPCs). We are unsure whether this solution is sufficient to accommodate the public safety users who use T-Band today and whether there are relocation reimbursement funds available for public safety licensees who choose to leave T-Band at this time. Of course, there is no mention of accommodating Business/Industrial T-Band licensees.  Public Notice

The New Benchmark in “Advanced Telecommunications"

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler addressed the status of FCC’s ongoing broadband effort in his Broadband Progress Report and acknowledged that despite the notable progress made,   challenges still exist in ensuring that all Americans benefit from improving and fast broadband networks in a timely fashion.

The report noted that broadband deployment in rural areas is failing to keep up with today’s advances in technology in terms of high-quality voice, data, graphics and video offerings and to satisfy the “advanced telecommunications” requirement, the FCC is looking to a 25 megabits per second (Mbps) broadband service for downloads, and 3 Mbps for uploads as the new benchmark.

Even with this updated service benchmark, Wheeler acknowledged that a large disparity exists in broadband access between urban and rural area and Tribal lands  in the U.S. and has issued A Notice of Inquiry seeking comments on additional steps the FCC can take to accelerate broadband deployment.  FCC News

Use EWA’s Complimentary Services to Manage Spectrum Expectations

Many applicants for 150-512 MHz spectrum are taking advantage of EWA’s complimentary service that provides critical information about the use of EWA-certified channels. EWA notifications are automatically emailed during the EWA frequency coordination process, and serve to confirm requested system technical parameters and provide applicable FCC rules governing the operation of the just-coordinated system.  Advisory recipients may also request a complimentary Channel Sharing Report with provides critical information about incumbent co-channel systems. There is no charge for these informational services. Contact your Spectrum Account Manager should you have any questions or suggestions for improvement.  Learn more