SpectrumTalk

SPTF - R.I.P.

With its recent actions terminating NOIs on interference temperature and receiver standards the Commission seems to have put the last nails in the coffin of the Spectrum Policy Task Force.

Oddly, the SPTF website is still up and is ambiguous on whether it still exists on not.

"The current objectives of the Task Force now center around achieving the Commission's strategic goals through the implementation and further development of its recommendations and other functions.

The Spectrum Policy Task Force is comprised of senior staff from several Commission Bureaus and Offices, including attorneys, engineers and economists."

Suggestion to FCC: Take a look at the FCC web page on Pioneer's Preference which is clear and objective in describing what PP was and that is is clearly ended. Such objectivity would be a good model for describing the SPTF saga.

An odd thing about the recent actions is that the Commission terminated both the extremely controversial "interference temperature" proposal and the much less controversial receiver inquiry at the same time. Even NTIA, the bastion of spectrum conservatism, has consistently advocated a more active FCC role in receiver standards.

Chairman Martin and the 4 commissioners are entitled to choose which direction the FCC should go in spectrum policy and a major change from SPTF recommendations is at their discretion. However, there is a lot of benefit for the $100+ billion wireless industry in knowing what direction the FCC actually is going in spectrum policy.

While the Commission is thinking about how to describe the SPTF and its status, it might decide whether it really has a Technological Advisory Committee or not and straighten out its web page on this matter. If you click on the TAC web page on the button that says "Next Meeting", you get a circular reference to the same page.