CTIA and PCIA are fighting over rules on how advanced wireless services (AWS) auction winners pick a clearinghouse to oversee cost-sharing as new licensees move incumbents out of the 2.1 GHz band. The FCC decided last year to make both associations clearinghouses to free spectrum bought in last summer’s auction. The 2 have clashed repeatedly on details. “The clearinghouses have met and have worked to come up with a compromise, but at the end of the day it’s really a public policy positions and we just have opposing positions,” said Connie Durcsak, PCIA senior dir.-industry services.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
The FCC should proceed with extreme caution and protect DBS incumbents if it lets “tweener” systems operate, EchoStar and DirecTV told the Commission. But SES Americom told the FCC the time is ripe and technology allows use of tweener devices. Commissioner offices are developing positions in the proceeding; replies were due last week.
Carriers would have to notify the FBI and Secret Service within 7 days whenever a pretexter violates customer proprietary network information (CPNI) rules, under an FCC rule circulating on the 8th floor, industry sources said Thurs. But subscribers whose privacy was violated could be kept in the dark for a month or longer. CTIA is seeking a meeting with DoJ to work out a compromise and is asking the FCC not to include the requirement in a final rule until the agency seeks comment.
Wireline and wireless carriers want the FCC to step away from proposed rules that would block carriers from sharing customer proprietary network information (CPNI) with vendors handling billing and marketing. Chmn. Martin told reporters last week that CPNI rules he has circulated would limit sharing of data among carriers and partners in joint ventures as well as independent contractors (CD Jan 18 p4). Under the revised rules, customers would have to “opt in” before private information could be shared.
A case the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., will hear Feb. 9 could bring the DTV transition to a screeching halt. Public Citizen filed a constitutional challenge to the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), which sets a Feb. 17, 2009, hard date for transition. The transition would free 700 MHz spectrum the FCC expects to auction later this year, with some of that spectrum reserved for public safety use. In a brief it filed in the case, CTIA enumerated implications for the DTV transition and auction.
The FCC’s analog cellular service requirement should end in Feb. 2008 as promised, and postponing the deadline would hurt cellular operators that have made network plans and investments based on it, a group of cellular carriers told the FCC. Alarm companies and their associations countered that analog links used by airports, hospitals and critical govt. operations are at risk unless the deadline is extended.
Backers of FCC rules requiring large carriers to provide automatic roaming at “just and reasonable” rates say an FCC proceeding on the issue is stalled, so they're going to Capitol Hill. Members of a coalition of rural carriers have scheduled visits with House and Senate members. They hope to prompt questions about roaming at oversight hearings featuring Chmn. Martin, plus written communications to the FCC.
Holding a 700 MHz auction in Aug. or Sept. would put Cyren Call in a tough position on Capitol Hill, trying to find a legislative vehicle in a matter of a few months to which it could attach its proposal for a 30 MHz public safety broadband set-aside. DTV legislation approved by Congress in 2006 requires that the 700 MHz auction start by Jan. 28, 2008, but FCC Chmn. Martin said Wed. an auction could start as early as Aug. (CD Jan 18 p4).
The FCC could start the 700 MHz auction as early as Aug., Chmn. Martin said Wed. That’s earlier than most potential bidders expected. Verizon and other major wireless carriers want an early start. Small carriers generally want one as late as possible. DTV legislation approved by Congress last year requires that the auction start by Jan. 28, 2008.
NTIA rules on its DTV converter box coupon program will appear within weeks, after OMB clearance, NTIA Dir. John Kneuer said Tues. in a meeting with reporters. The transition dominated Kneuer’s first media roundtable as director.