Rules the FCC is developing for the 700 MHz band auction will require the Commission to decide whether to impose tough “use it or lose it” requirements, and whether to offer some spectrum in chunks small carriers can afford to buy and use. Both questions were fiercely debated in reply comments to the FCC, pitting groups of rural carriers against their large, national competitors. The auction, expected in late 2007, will offer some of the most eagerly awaited spectrum in FCC history.
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 Hearing Industries Assn. told the FCC it mustn’t exempt rural carriers from requirements that they offer hearing aid compatibility (HAC) handsets for 700 MHz as soon as the spectrum comes online. The Rural Telecom Group (RTG) said in Sept. 29 comments on rules for the 700 MHz that an HAC mandate could slow rural deployment in the band.
The divestiture of 2.5 GHz and 2.3 GHz spectrum held by BellSouth in the Southeast as a condition of the AT&T- BellSouth merger has emerged as one of the issues getting significant discussion at the Commission, as commissioners and their staff hash out a final merger order. Sources said Comrs. Copps and Adelstein have made spectrum one of the key issues to earn their support. But AT&T and BellSouth are considered unlikely to budge and concede divestiture of the spectrum as a concession to win approval of their merger.
Cingular has completed the integration of its and AT&T Wireless’s historic GSM networks, almost 2 years after the completion of the 2 carriers’ merger in Oct. 2004, Cingular officials said Thurs. during a call with analysts. Cingular completed the integration of the merger partners’ TDMA networks last year. Cingular officials also said they were generally pleased with how the company fared in the recent AWS auction.
FCC Comr. McDowell said he hopes public safety will make greater use of commercial technologies and networks. He was kicking off a 3G Americas symposium Wed. that included several demonstrations of ways that applications provided by wireless carriers help police, firefighters and other first responders. Public safety agencies have relied mainly on equipment and systems designed specifically for their use.
An FCC order on use of white spaces bars marketing of devices designed to operate in vacant TV bands before Feb. 17, 2009, when the DTV transition ends, according to the order, made available Wed. by the Commission. The FCC cut off any sale of devices even in the weeks before the deadline.
Wireless backhaul provider FiberTower told the FCC that much more must be understood about potential interference from satellite signals in the 24 GHz band before the Commission can allow unfettered satellite operations there. The comments came as satellite operators, and others interested, offered comments on proposed rules for providing satellite operators with what amounts to another 400 MHz of spectrum in the 17 GHz and 24 GHz bands.
The recently concluded AWS auction was a major success, despite complaints by Council Tree and other designated entities seeking to overturn the results, the FCC told the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia. The agency acted within its authority under the Communications Act in significantly curbing designated entities’ (DEs') ability to buy licenses at reduced prices and then sell them through the secondary market, it told the court.
The FCC Thurs. approved an order that will allow Qualcomm to start offering high speed video in spectrum it owns in the lower 700 MHz band through subsidiary MediaFlo. While the FCC imposed strict controls on interference to broadcast customers using adjacent spectrum, MediaFlo said the order will allow it to proceed as planned with a launch now expected in combination with Verizon Wireless in early 2007.
The FCC Thurs. opened the door to use of broadcast “white spaces” for wireless broadband, approving a long- anticipated rulemaking. But the Commission declined to make a recommendation on whether the spectrum should be offered purely for unlicensed use, as sought by Intel, Microsoft, HP, Dell and other major high-tech companies.