WASHINGTON-Twenty-three organizations representing a broad cross section of American industry blasted an American Mobile Telecommunications Association proposal to auction a big chunk of the 450-470 MHz band and reserve only a small slice of it for private wireless users.
The industry coalition, which includes the Industrial Telecommunications Association, Personal Communications Industry Association, United Telecom Council and the Association of American Railroads, told the Federal Communications Commission the AMTA plan “would have a devastating impact on the private wireless industry.”
AMTA claims the proposal-which would have the FCC earmark 2 megahertz for shared, private wireless use and auction 10 megahertz for commercial wireless services-would foster more efficient use of the spectrum. AMTA’s members include specialized mobile radio operators.
The private wireless coalition said it sees AMTA’s petition “as nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt by a small contingent of commercial mobile radio operators-the SMR community-to add additional spectrum to their coffers.”
