WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission, responding to industry concerns about potential interference from the introduction of advanced technologies in private wireless bands below 800 MHz, has extended the freeze on filing applications to most of those bands.
The massive undertaking of restructuring channelization schemes in the 150-174 MHz, 421-430 MHz, 450-470 MHz and 470-512 MHz bands-a process called refarming-generally has been supported by industry.
Yet, it is becoming clear that integrating new technology, technical flexibility and market incentives into highly congested private wireless frequency bands-comprising 12 million transmitters representing a $25 billion investment-will be a major challenge for users, system operators, equipment manufacturers and frequency coordinators.
Already, problems have cropped up and various parties have sought licensing delays and technical changes to the landmark refarming plan approved by the FCC in June. So far, the commission has responded.
The FCC on Aug. 22 granted in part a stay request filed by the Land Mobile Communications Council, an umbrella wireless organization, asking that licensing be postponed in the VHF 150 MHz band and the UHF 421-430 MHz, 450-470 MHz and 470-512 MHz bands until frequency coordinators have a better grip on the myriad of changes refarming brings.
On Aug. 11, the agency postponed accepting high-power applications for 12.5 kHz offset channels in the 450-470 MHz band after Hewlett-Packard Co. warned of interference to low-power medical telemetry devices used by hospitals to monitor cardiac patients. Other parties also are seeking mostly minor revisions to the FCC refarming decision.
The commission has adopted a transition plan developed by government and industry that migrates private mobile radio users from 25 kHz channels to 12.5 kHz channels by Aug. 1, 1996, and to 6.25 kHz channels by Jan. 1, 2005.
Federal regulators intend to accomplish this during the next 10 years by approving only radio equipment that either adheres to new narrowband channeling schemes or is spectrally just as efficient. For example, some licensees may opt for digital technology over analog narrowband.
Two narrowband radio manufacturers, E.F. Johnson Co. and Securicor Radiocoms Ltd., want the FCC to adopt 5 kHz channelization in certain bands.
Securicor said a study by Hatfield Associates Inc. concludes that bypassing 5 kHz channelization will cost the U.S. government up to $7.6 billion in lost auction revenues and result in a missed opportunity to employ thousands in service and manufacturing jobs.
In addition, the study said failure to embrace 5 kHz channelization will reduce capacity in bands below 512 MHz by 3.6 million users.
The FCC also wants industry to devise a plan in three months that rolls the 20 private radio services into four or fewer radio services, including one for public safety. That could be difficult because frequency coordinators have a financial stake in preparing license applications of distinct user groups.
Industry groups representing private wireless users are pressing policymakers to charge spectrum fees for new radio channels instead of auctioning licenses.
