Enterprise Wireless Insider, Vol. 11, No. 3

Eliminating FCC Rules – Suggestions?

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) is presently reviewing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules that are either no longer useful in today’s wireless environment, rarely enforced, overly burdensome or, in our view, no longer in the public interest. So that a comprehensive list may be developed for the Commission’s consideration, members are encouraged to suggest specific rules that warrant elimination. 

Please send your recommendations and comments to EWA Communications Director Andrea Cumpston on or before March 15, 2017, via phone at 703-797-5111 or by email at andrea.cumpston@enterprisewireless.org. 

EWA Files Application for Review on Higher Ground Waiver

On February 17, 2017, EWA filed an Application for Review with the FCC requesting that it review an Order granting a blanket earth station license to Higher Ground LLC that permits it to operate on a non-interfering basis up to 50,000 mobile earth terminals (SatPaqs) in the 5925-6425 MHz band (6 GHz band). EWA stated that the action taken by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology (the Bureaus) in granting the Order conflicts with established FCC policy and urged the FCC to set aside the grant of the waiver, return Higher Ground’s application to pending status, and initiate a rulemaking proceeding where the many concerns about the proposed system’s potential for interference can be evaluated in detail and weighed against whether it is in the public interest.

“EWA has the highest regard for the Bureaus and is not taking issue with the technical aspects of the Order at this time,” said EWA President Mark Crosby. “A change in the use of this band should be the outcome of a discussion among all stakeholders through the well-established process of a rulemaking. The outcome should be a Commission decision that all parties can accept as an appropriate balancing of the rights of fixed service incumbents and the public benefit of introducing another broadband consumer service,” he continued.

Others filing Applications for Review on this matter are the Utilities Technology Council (UTC), the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition (FWCC) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International.

EWA Monitoring ITU UHF Proposal

EWA is monitoring a developing satellite matter being considered by the International Telecommunication Union, an agency of the United Nations that coordinates shared global use of spectrum. Various space agencies are proposing to use the 460-470 MHz band on a primary basis for weather satellite communications. To avoid interference to terrestrial operations, they propose to use spread spectrum technology across the band. If the proposal advances, EWA and the Land Mobile Communication Council (LMCC) will be actively involved in testing or other technical evaluation of this new use.         

California Adopts Rules Governing Wireless Devices in Vehicles

EWA and the LMCC are investigating the impact of a 2016 California law that prohibits “a person from driving a motor vehicle while holding and operating a handheld wireless telephone or a wireless electronic communication device,” except those used in defined emergency vehicles when used for emergency purposes. The law specifically names “specialized mobile radio device” among the devices included in the definition of “wireless electronic communication device.”

Personal Use of Signal Boosters

On March 3, the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) released a Public Notice inviting comment on the Wilson Electronics Petition for Further Rulemaking asking the FCC to eliminate the “personal-use” restriction on all consumer signal boosters. Wilson specifically requests that the FCC “replace the personal use restriction ‘with a multiprovider registration requirement for [wideband consumer signal boosters]’ so that businesses, public safety entities, public institutions, and other enterprises may purchase and use consumer signal boosters.” Wilson Electronics manufactures consumer signal boosters. Comments are due March 23, and Reply Comments are due April 3.

Agricultural Ground Radars

On March 1, the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) granted a waiver of several rules to Headsight, Inc. to permit the certification and marketing of an unlicensed ultra-wideband (UWB) ground penetrating radar (GPR) that will operate in the 1-6 GHz frequency band while installed on agricultural equipment. The FCC finds that the Headsight Terrahawk device will pose no great risk of causing harmful interference while offering an innovative use of “GPR technology that will benefit the public through improved farming operations and higher crop yields.” The Terrahawk uses the UWB imaging technology of GPR to detect ground surface conditions obscured by crops during harvest operations. 

Virginia Receives 700 MHz Guidance from FCC

On February 27, the Acting Chief of the Policy and Licensing Division of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau released an Order clarifying a 2016 Order that authorized the Commonwealth of Virginia to relocate its existing 700 MHz narrowband operations to state-licensed 700 MHz narrowband channels with conditions to “coordinate operations on these channels with the Commonwealth of Kentucky.” The 2017 Order specifies the “field strength limits applicable to the state license channels used near the Kentucky-Virginia border.”  This clarification was provided to alleviate any uncertainty on the part of the licensees with implementation concerns.