WASHINGTON-The industry group largely responsible for securing regulatory relief during the paging freeze has demanded that the Personal Communications Industry Association cease charging frequency coordination fees under interim paging rules.
The Coalition for a Competitive Paging Industry, a collection of nearly 200 local and regional paging operators and Glenayre Technologies Inc., a top paging terminal supplier, petitioned the Federal Communications Commission last week to either waive the frequency coordination requirement for 929 MHz private carrier paging applications or investigate PCIA coordination practices.
“I think we’ve come up with a reasonable scenario for the FCC staff to process these applications in a timely fashion,” said Kevin O’Brien, president of a telecommunications consulting firm in Annandale, Va., and the driving force behind the coalition.
The paging group formed because it believed PCIA’s lobbying efforts to get the Feb. 8 paging application freeze lifted were compromised by large association members who account for most of PCIA’s dues and whose nationwide licenses are exempted from the freeze.
The interim paging rules are in effect until the FCC adopts auction and market-based licensing guidelines. Today, paging is licensed on a transmitter-by-transmitter basis.
CCPI argues the interim paging rules, while requiring the submission of PCP applications to PCIA, do not necessitate a frequency selection because current paging operators are permitted to expand 40 miles out on their existing frequencies and therefore should not have to pay $225 for frequency coordination.
Common carrier paging applications are not required to go through PCIA, but instead go directly to the FCC. CCPI wants PCP applications treated the same.
“We think their petition is totally without merit,” said Donald Vasek, senior issues manager of industry affairs at PCIA.
Vasek disagrees with CCPI’s contention that frequency coordinators primary job is to recommend frequencies for users.
Vasek said PCIA is mandated to perform a host of other duties, such as reviewing applications, handling post-licensing conflicts involving frequency selection and accommodating interservice sharing requests. Moreover, Vasek said interim paging rules have added responsibilities, including verifying that sites are within 40 miles of constructed facilities; ensuring paging construction certifications are included; providing the FCC lists of applications; and analyzing non-mutually exclusive applications that target coordinated applications.
“While there is a serious question as to the legitimacy in reviewing Part 90 expansion applications, at a minimum, the Commission should exercise its oversight role as authorized by Congress and affirmed in the Commission’s 1986 frequency coordination proceeding, to ensure if submission to PCIA is required, that PCIA is limited to charging a fee commensurate with its authorized (frequency coordination) duties,” stated the coalition.
One recommendation is for PCIA to refund excess fees collected during the interim period.
