WASHINGTON-The 800 MHz band Transition Administrator began accepting elections for the expansion and guard bands, and advised public-safety groups on how they might stay in the expansion band.
The transition administrator will be notifying public-safety licensees that have frequencies in the expansion band of their new frequency assignments unless they elect to stay in the expansion band.
Elections to stay in the expansion band are due by Sept. 27 for wave 1; Jan. 3 for wave 2; April 3 for wave 3; and July 3, 2006, for wave 4.
The transition administrator established a four-wave process with the first three waves completing the rebanding process by June 27, 2008. Formal negotiations for wave 1 began June 27, and the third-wave formal negotiation process is set to begin no later than Jan. 3, 2006. Wave 4 is the border region, and the transition administrator expects this area to take longer due to necessary diplomatic negotiations that must take place with Canada and Mexico.
Licensees, except those in the southeastern United States that are ineligible, wishing to relocate to the guard band must also submit an election form.
Both election forms are available at 800ta.org.
As part of its plan to solve public-safety interference in the 800 MHz band, the FCC selected an administrator to act as an independent third party. Consulting firm BearingPoint, law firm Squire-Sanders-Dempsey L.L.P. and Baseline Telecom Inc. comprise the team.
A year ago, The FCC adopted a plan to solve the interference problem, swap some spectrum with Nextel Communications Inc. and have Nextel pay to move other companies off the spectrum band Nextel would receive. The FCC released the text of the plan in early August and made modifications to it in December.
