SpectrumTalk

Public Safety
and
700 MHz:

Waiting for FCC to Act

On April 7, Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), CTIA—The Wireless Association® (CTIA), National Emergency Number Association (NENA), and National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) filed yet another ex parte urging FCC to take action in Docket 08-167 on the continued use of 700 MHz by wireless mics - most of which just happen to be illegal at present anyway.

"The undersigned associations, on behalf of public safety and commercial wireless 700 MHz band licensees, hereby reiterate their call for the Commission to act without delay to: (1) clear wireless microphones and other low power auxiliary station (“LPAS”) devices from the 700 MHz band; and (2) prohibit the manufacture and sale of 700 MHz wireless microphones and other LPAS devices for domestic use.

Absent prompt Commission action, interference and communications disruption in the 700 MHz band are inevitable – to first responders, to broadband customers, and to users of wireless microphones. Consistent with the FCC’s tentative conclusions in the 700 MHz Wireless Microphone Notice,1 the outcome of this proceeding is equally clear – wireless microphone and other LPAS devices must cease operations in the 700 MHz band, and further manufacture and sale of such devices for domestic use must be prohibited. Continued delay of a resolution in this matter, moreover, impedes the achievement of Congress’ objective to clear the 700 MHz band and make the spectrum available for new public safety and commercial systems. We are unaware of any public policy justification for further delay." (Emphasis added.)

Your blogger is not aware of any policy justification for not resolving this issue either. The ever aggressive Shure advocacy of their customers' continued use has not even replied to the combined public safety filing that is now 7 days old. In an article in Urgent Communications, formerly MRT: Mobile Radio Technology, APCO Director of Legal and Government Affairs Robert Gurss states, "Our concern is that the number of (700 MHz public safety) users is going to dramatically increase, and that's when you're going to have problems [with interference from wireless microphones]." The article adds,

"Following directions from Congress, the FCC largely has avoided taking action on matters that are not part of the DTV transition. But Gurss noted that the wireless-microphone issue does relate to the DTV transition, a significant part of which is to deliver usable spectrum to public-safety and commercial licensees.

Without FCC action establishing clear rules that wireless microphones cannot interfere with primary users, disruptions to public-safety and commercial wireless transmissions in the 700 MHz band are "inevitable," according to the joint letter from three public-safety organizations and CTIA, the trade association for commercial wireless carriers."