WASHINGTON-FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin indicated Thursday there might be other ways besides rebanding to solve public-safety interference in the 800 MHz band.
“Ultimately some kind of rebanding or pulling the spectrum apart and putting it back together in a different manner may be the most efficient or most effective way to try to address those issues, but even in that context, it doesn’t necessarily have to be nationwide. It could be by particular markets where there is the most interference. So there are a variety of options but re-banding is a very effective tool in this circumstance where you have overlapping configurations of different uses,” said Martin.
Martin said that while there have been staff briefings about the various options, he has not seen how FCC Chairman Michael Powell proposes to solve the interference problem. Public safety began experiencing interference more than two years ago as more cellular-type systems were deployed. The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau is drafting a solution to be presented to the commissioners in the coming weeks with a decision expected in April, said WTB Chief John Muleta.
Lobbying has reached an even higher pitch as proponents from all sides paper the Federal Communications Commission with the reasons why their plan is best and press statements becoming more pointed; Nextel Communications Inc. recently charged the opposition was employing bullying tactics.
Preferred Communication Systems Inc. argues that non-Nextel SMRs are hurt by the Consensus Plan. “In economic area markets in which the NCG holds less than all of the EA-licensed spectrum, the Consensus Plan seeks to `squeeze’ 11.5-19 megahertz of economic area and site-licensed spectrum into six megahertz of spectrum within the new cellular block and some `other spectrum.’ In the case of NCG, the `other spectrum’ is an allocation of 5.5 megahertz or more of the 1.9 GHz band spectrum on a nationwide basis. By contrast, the `other spectrum’ for non-Nextel EA licensees is determined by the Consensus Plan’s new cellular deployment test that requires only non-Nextel EA licensees to demonstrate either that they already have constructed a cellular network or have obtained a firm financial commitment to do so,” said Preferred President Charles Austin.
Public-safety groups told Congress late last month that the interference is “significant and increasing.” Earlier this year, the same groups sent a letter to the White House.
Late last month, 23 members of the House Commerce Committee sent a letter to the FCC urging it to reject the Consensus Plan.
Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless, which has been vocal in its displeasure of giving Nextel any spectrum at 1.9 GHz, said the FCC should reband at 800 MHz and make Nextel pay for the process without giving Nextel any more spectrum. The argument for rebanding the 800 MHz band without including the 1.9 GHz band is not new, said Verizon Wireless, reminding the FCC that several parties had suggested “In-Band Realignment” as a contrast to the Consensus Plan in 2002.
The Consensus Plan would shuffle the 800 MHz band to eliminate the current situation where public safety, private wireless, Nextel and cellular carriers are intermingled. Nextel has said that it would pay $850 million for the necessary retuning of public-safety and private-wireless radios. Nextel said it would deposit $100 million in an escrow account and secure irrevocable lines of credit for the remaining $750 million.
In exchange for giving up spectrum in the 700, 800 and 900 MHz bands and for paying to retune public safety and private wireless, Nextel has asked for 10 megahertz in the 1.9 GHz band.
RCR Wireless News first reported Oct. 27 that FCC staff is contemplating a proposal that would give Nextel no more than 6 megahertz of spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band.
The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association and the United Telecom Council favor the Balanced Approach Plan, which calls for timely resolution of current interference at the expense of the interferor, coupled with technical rules, notification and coordination procedures to prevent new interference.
