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January 22, 2015
Volume 9, Issue 1
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900 MHz PEBB Initiatives
EWA and Pacific DataVision, Inc. (PDV) joined other industry participants on Monday, January 12 responding to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) request for comments to the EWA/PDV Petition for Rulemaking regarding realignment of 900 MHz spectrum, which the FCC placed on Public Notice November 26, 2014. These comments are the first formal step in the FCC’s process of determining whether to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking that would structure the rules governing the proposed realignment of the 900 MHz band. Mark Crosby, EWA President stated, “The comments filed by incumbent licensees this week contain few surprises since EWA and PDV have been working for over a year with representatives from critical infrastructure industries (CII) to craft a broadband proposal and listening to their concerns. Support for a new broadband opportunity below 1 GHz, voiced even by incumbents with the most apprehension, suggests to me that the industry has sufficient incentive to continue the detailed process of evaluating the best way of handling realignment.” More |
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Excessive Signal Booster Regulations Should Be Eliminated
EWA filed comments recommending that the personal use restriction be eliminated for provider-specific consumer signal boosters. The consumer who installed the device must be a subscriber of that carrier, must have its consent to utilize the particular device, and must have registered its use with the carrier. Under those circumstances, EWA stated that whether the consumer uses the signal booster only for his/her own “personal use” activities is irrelevant, however that term might be defined. EWA suggested to the FCC that it should remove the personal use restriction for carrier-specific consumer signal boosters.
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EWA Submits Medical Body Area Network Proposal
EWA submitted a proposal to the FCC to be named as a database coordinator of the Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) Service. MBAN devices are licensed on a secondary basis in the 2360-2390 MHz band which is shared with Aeronautical Mobile Telemetry (AMT) operations. MBAN devices permit wireless networking of multiple body transmitters used for measuring and recording physiological parameters and other patient information or for performing diagnostic or therapeutic functions, and are used primarily in over U.S. 5,700 health care facilities.
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Potentially an 800 MHz Mess - FCC Denies Request in a Single Day
On January 12, the LMCC requested the FCC to extend the “Pre-coordination” and “FCC Application” filing deadlines by 120 days for Expansion Band (EB) and Guard Band (GB) spectrum in NPSPAC regions where the 800 MHz band Reconfiguration process rebanding has been completed. These dates were announced as January 13, 2015, and February 10, 2015. (See related story below.) This extension would have allowed the FACs time to finalize a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) necessary to accommodate instances of mutually-exclusive applications, a very real possibility, given that over three hundred applications have been filed pursuant to the “Pre-Coordination” date seeking nearly 1,500 800 MHz channels. However, on January 13, 2015, the FCC denied the LMCC’s request stating, “[W]ithout evidence of potential harm, we are unable to conclude that the LMCC has satisfied the stay criteria.” More
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Necessary Criteria for FAC Certification
The Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) has asked that the FCC clarify certain aspects of FAC-certification criteria because certification of an entity without an independent governance structure “would undermine the credibility of the entire frequency coordination process upon which the Part 90 spectrum is made available”. In their reply comments to a request from the Engineers Frequency Advisory Committee, LLC (EFAC) to be certified as a FAC, the LMCC points out that one of the “fundamental requirements” to be a FAC is that the organization be representative of applicants and licensees it serves, which has been “interpreted consistently” to mean that they are overseen by and responsible to the entities for whom they provide frequency coordination services. More |
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Wild West Frequency Coordination
EWA filed comments in the same request for frequency advisory certification by EFAC, LLC on January 20 and stated that it endorsed the LMCC Reply Comments that challenged EFAC’s ability to satisfy the representativeness criterion for FAC certification. EWA also took issue with APCO’s cavalier suggestion in its comments on the subject that while chaotic frequency coordination would be disastrous on public safety frequencies, it might be tolerated in B/ILT pools where it could or should be governed by a “Wild West” frequency coordination process. EFAC requested to be certified as both a B/ILT and public safety FAC. More
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More Regions Complete Rebanding
Rebanding has been completed in additional NPSPAC regions: ID (12), KS (16), KY (17), MO (24), MT (25), Eastern Upstate NY (30) Western Upstate NY (55), WV (44), and American Samoa (64). In addition to releasing any remaining Sprint-vacated channels below 860 MHz for use by PS entities, the FCC also determined that EB/GB (860-861/861-862 MHZ) spectrum in those regions will be available for pre-coordination as of January 13 and for filing with the FCC as of February 10. More
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Always a Bad Choice - Ignoring the Enforcement Bureau
Union County, Florida licensee has been directed to delete 155.985 MHz from their licensed radio system (WQPL308) as directed by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) in order to resolve an ongoing interference issue with Baker County Emergency Services which operates on the adjacent frequency 155.9775 MHz at a site 37.1 miles away. Under Commission rules, frequency 155.985 MHz is a mobile-only frequency, but may be assigned for base station use on a secondary, non-interference basis. More
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Visit with EWA at these upcoming events:
Great Lakes MSS (GLMSS) Association Spring Meeting
Feb 5-7, 2015
Don Cesar Hotel, St. Pete Beach, FL
Learn more
Motorola Channel Partner Expo (CPE)
March 15-17, 2015
Aria, Las Vegas, NV
International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE)
March 18-20, 2015
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
Learn more
2015 EDMSSA Spring Meeting
April 21 - May 1, 2015
Hershey Lodge, Hershey, PA
Learn more
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ADC Fine Art & Frame – American Fork, UT
MCIS – Tustin, CA
Tusa Consulting Services – Hammond, LA
Rinehart Spectrum Solutions Group, LLC – Gettysburg, PA
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Have you Checked out EWA's LinkedIn Group - Wireless Users Tech Talk?
Join today and share your thoughts and ideas with fellow wireless users and professionals on a range of issues and solutions impacting our industry. We welcome your participation!
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Send Us Your Comments
Members are encouraged to contact EWA with their comments and recommendations regarding the Alliance's services or newsletter content. |
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