WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a temporary waiver to VoiceStream Wireless to provide wireless priority access service (PAS) on a short-term basis to local, state and federal officials here and in New York during emergencies.
The waiver will expire on 31 December or sooner if VoiceStream deploys priority access capability required by FCC rules. The Bush administration made wireless priority access a high priority after the 11 September terrorist attacks.
The National Communications Systems, which released a statement praising the FCC action, said it wants to have a national wireless priority access solution in place by year’s end. PAS enables government managers to have their calls processed ahead of mobile-phone subscribers, but does not disrupt consumers’ calls in progress.
FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Kevin Martin supported the waiver, but criticized the agency for not requiring VoiceStream to notify subscribers of the priority access feature and what it means to them during emergencies.
VoiceStream said it does not expect priority access to impact service quality.
