ARLINGTON, Va.-The Industrial Telecommunications Association Inc. filed a petition on the Second Report and Order in the Federal Communications Commission’s refarming proceeding.
The association reiterated its support for radio service consolidation, while suggesting substantive changes to the new trunking rules and expressing concerns about speculation and the `safe harbor’ table.
ITA said it believes the FCC’s decision on radio service consolidation was made from the perspective of what structure would best assist users and licensees to make efficient use of available spectrum. The association said it believes two pools will best promote efficient frequency use.
The organization also said the FCC’s ruling that licensees could implement centralized trunking with consent from other licensees of systems that overlap a 70-mile radius was overly burdensome.
Instead, ITA said, the consent requirement should be based on the actual operation characteristics of the trunking candidate’s system, rather than the 70-mile radius. Consent should only be required from licensees whose interference contour overlaps the trunking candidate’s service contour, ITA continued.
ITA also asked the FCC to provide a 90-day notice period, during which licensees intending to convert to trunked operations would be able to identify and obtain concurrence from other affected licensees.
In reference to the `safe harbor’ table, ITA said the table imposes undue constraints on legitimate licensee operational requirements. The organization proposed eliminating the table.
