WASHINGTON-The Automobile Association of America said last week it should be given “quasi public-safety” status by the Federal Communications Commission. This status would allow it the right of first refusal when others want to use spectrum formerly in the Automobile Emergency Radio Service (AERS) category, said Gary Ruark, AAA’s frequency coordinator.
The timing of AAA’s press conference is significant because the FCC is reviewing changes to refarming procedures instituted last fall. Refarming combined 20 radio services, including AERS, into two pools: public safety and industrial/business. AAA has asked the FCC to allow it to coordinate the former 43 AERS frequencies in the same way the utilities, railroads and the petroleum industry are allowed to coordinate their frequencies.
The utilities, railroads and petroleum industry were given “quasi public-safety” status by the FCC because the agency stated these entities used their spectrum differently than other business/industrial users.
Some entities use radio services “to respond to emergencies that could be extremely dangerous to the general public. We believe maintaining the integrity of spectrum used for such public-safety purposes is extremely important, and using coordinators who are knowledgeable with such special communication needs is the best way to protect these systems,” the FCC said in its decision last year.
AAA claims it has experienced interference problems since coordination was taken over by the Industrial Telecommunications Association and the Personal Communications Industry Association.
“We have been in this repooling phase for six months but these [interference] problems have taken three or four months to become apparent,” Ruark said.
Both ITA and PCIA oppose the AAA plan. An ITA spokesman was incredulous that AAA believes ITA is incompetent. “We cannot coordinate a frequency because a tow truck is on it?” Sharpe Smith asked rhetorically.
AAA believes money is the reason ITA and PCIA oppose its plan. “Perhaps they are afraid of losing revenues from being unable to coordinate these 43 frequencies,” said Michele Farquhar, an attorney representing AAA.
