Subject: [NEXTEL-1] FCC's Inquiring Minds Want To Know

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 13:40:24 -0500

FCC's Inquiring Minds Want To Know
BY MARK ROCKWELL
DECEMBER 16, 2002

In a meeting hailed by FCC Chairman Michael Powell as an all-wireless event, the
FCC last week dug into its bag of ideas for innovative ways to open up more
spectrum and make it safely available to more people.

As the commission convened the first meeting in almost a year with five
commissioners–newly appointed commissioner Jonathan Adelstein was in
attendance–it opened several inquiries that would explore new territories in
spectrum policy and asked for more wireless market information to bolster its
understanding of the area.

At the beginning of the meeting, which had only wireless items on its agenda,
Powell hailed the technology as a hard-charging economic force. "It's become
more evident than perhaps any policy issue or question that wireless is going to
serve as a central component of the economy, consumer welfare, new and
existing services and broadband," he said.

In a move tied directly to its recent spectrum policy task force report that sought
new ways to tap crowded bandwidth, the commission asked for public comments
on nascent plans that could ultimately open the door for a whole range of new
services. It kicked off inquiries into making additional spectrum available to
unlicensed devices in the television broadcast spectrum, whether existing FCC
policies are slowing the use of wireless broadband services to rural areas and
whether additional wireless services should provide access to emergency services.

The idea to open up more room for unlicensed wireless devices in the broadcast
spectrum stems directly from the commission's spectrum management report
and was hailed by most of the commissioners as a good way to squeeze more
use out of unused portions of that band. The proposal would allow low powered
wireless devices to operate in the TV broadcast band at locations and times when
the spectrum isn't being used. The commission pointed to the success of other
low powered unlicensed devices, such as cordless phones, electronic toys and
wireless local area networks that operate in such spectral "underlay" types of
situations on other bands.

In the same inquiry, the FCC also wants to look into whether other bands,
specifically 3650-3700 MHz, could be used for higher powered wireless devices
with minimal interference requirements alongside licensed services. It also will
investigate using spectrum below 900 MHz and at 3 GHz.

The move was hailed by commissioners, including Chairman Powell, but
Commissioner Kevin Martin objected, saying times are confusing enough for
broadcasters as that industry converts to digital television transmission. Adding
even more new rules could cause more pain, he says.

"I fear that these unlicensed devices will create additional interference problems
when digital television gets under way. Interference already threatens to impede
the introduction of digital television. Although digital television stations have
begun operating only in the last 12 months, we have received several reports of
interference problems. For example, we are currently adjudicating a claim that a
digital station in Norfolk, Virginia (WHRO-DT) is causing interference to an analog
station in Salisbury, Maryland (WBOC-TV)," he said in a dissenting statement
after the meeting.

In a separate inquiry, the commission asked for public comment on its current
policies pertaining to the distribution of broadband wireless in rural areas. Newly
appointed commissioner Adelstein recused himself at the beginning of the
meeting because of some "family financial holdings, which we are in the process
of divesting," he said. The remaining four commissioners all backed the rural
wireless access initiative, saying the move was necessary to keep rural
telecommunications customers in the loop for accelerating broadband
deployment.

As for emergency calls, the commission said it would issue a consumer alert
concerning unintentionally dialed wireless E911 calls. The commission has been
working with wireless groups and companies to stop unintentionally dialed E911
calls made by erroneous or accidentally activated preprogrammed E911 buttons
on wireless phones. The commission said it would send an alert concerning the
problem to 1,300 subscribers to the commission's consumer information line.

In another E911 matter, the commission opened an inquiry into whether E911
access should be expanded to other wireless areas such as telematics and
mobile satellite services. Commissioners agreed to ask for comment on whether
MSS operators should have national 911 call centers. MSS companies aren't
covered by FCC rules that require carriers to gather information on 911 calls. The
feeling at the commission is that exclusion could prevent MSS users from getting
access to E911 services on the same footing as traditional wireless carriers.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleid=CA265813&spacedesc=News&stt=000

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