WASHINGTON-Congress, in a move that has raised constitutional questions, is pushing legislation that would end entrepreneur block auction litigation and open the way for the sale of more personal communications services licenses in early December.A provision in a House Commerce Committee plan to raise...
When the Federal Communications Commission began the "finder's preference" program late in 1991, it was hailed by the industry as a win-win situation. The FCC would receive help in the enforcement of its rules and the members of the industry would receive badly needed...
ierre Dogan, David Patton and Ray Nettleton Two observations can be drawn from the recent personal communications services license auctions. First, PCS participants are willing to assume enormous financial risk, on the order of tens of billions of dollars-an unprecedented level of risk-taking by...
For more than 30 years, microwave communications systems have been used by utilities, oil and gas pipeline companies, railroads and municipalities to provide basic services to the American public including energy and transportation services, heating, air conditioning, power and fuel. Even public-safety agencies rely...
The road to launching the first commercial personal communications services network in the United States, which American Personal Communications plans to do this fall, began at the Personal Communications Industry Association (then called Telocator) annual convention in Washington, D.C., in 1989. It is fitting...
The latest step in the continuing march toward ever higher radio frequencies, 38 GHz point-to-point digital services, is providing a set of interesting, unique products.The 38 GHz technology has been proven in Europe and now a few American companies are introducing it and a...
WASHINGTON-William Roth, R-Del., chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, will offer legislation this week or next to abolish the agency that advises the president on telecommunications policy and manages federal government spectrum.The move is part of a broader effort to dismantle the Commerce...
WASHINGTON-The level of frustration over entrepreneur block auction litigation is running so high at the Federal Communications Commission that Chairman Reed Hundt is willing to lose in court if it means getting bidding for 493 personal communications services licenses back on track before year's...
WASHINGTON-The union representing Federal Communications Commission employees has accused Chairman Reed Hundt of reneging on a staff reduction plan agreed to by labor and management earlier this year that required forced layoffs.Under a proposal unveiled last month by Hundt, 50 employees from FCC field...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission, responding to industry concerns about potential interference from the introduction of advanced technologies in private wireless bands below 800 MHz, has extended the freeze on filing applications to most of those bands.The massive undertaking of restructuring channelization schemes in the...
I don't envy FCC Chairman Reed Hundt.Yes, only a few short months ago he was the golden boy of Washington, as should be anyone who delivers the president a check for $7.7 billion to be used to reduce the nation's budget deficit.In fact, the...
WASHINGTON-Is this the future?The Progress & Freedom Foundation, the libertarian think tank of House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., that wants to abolish the Federal Communications Commission, would be proud.But more likely, it would scoff, and call it a meager effort at reform.Whatever, the FCC...
WASHINGTON-Increased competition among commercial wireless carriers-owing to deregulation, more spectrum and technical flexibility-could lead to the formation of a single telecommunications market for "people on the move."The trend is cited in the Federal Communications Commission's first competitive analysis of commercial mobile radio services.The annual...
Paging Network Inc. completed the purchase of the paging assets of California-based International Paging Corp. effective Sept. 1. PageNet said it will acquire 50,000 IPC paging customers in California, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Utah for a cash purchase price of $15 million. "We...
WASHINGTON-A campaign that officially kicks off this week to fight the planned giveaway of digital TV channels to broadcasters is partially funded by the cellular telephone industry, which fears any such giveaway will mean increased fees for cellular operators.Specifically, the cellular industry is worried...
Safety and security may be among the top reasons people buy cellular phones, but these features often fall short in one area: 911 service. But the state of Washington is hoping to remedy that situation with a new law that makes cellular carriers offer enhanced...
WASHINGTON-Stepped-up lobbying by city, state and county officials and support from a top House Republican likely will weaken the Klug-Manton antenna siting amendment in the House-Senate conference on telecommunications reform legislation this fall.Rep. Thomas Bliley, R-Va., chairman of the Commerce Committee and chief sponsor...
WASHINGTON-How did a well-intentioned government program to create business opportunities for women, minorities, small businesses and rural telephone companies in the most explosive sector of the telecommunications industry-wireless-become such a mess?A good question, in view of the second postponement of the entrepreneur block auction...
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash.-SEA Inc. said the Federal Communications Commission has type accepted the SEA700 hand-held portable transceiver for use in the new 220-222 MHz radio service.It is the first portable developed and type accepted for use in the band, created by the FCC to...
WASHINGTON-The federal government is trying to mend its rocky relationship with the public-safety community, following a series of flare-ups between the two during the past year.Last week, the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration named Washington, D.C, lawyer Philip Verveer...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission's effort to promote narrowband technologies in congested private wireless bands below 800 MHz by adopting flexible channeling schemes and market-driven incentives is running into early problems.The FCC, which in June adopted the so-called "refarming" decision, this month put a freeze...
Omnipoint Corp. is one among a handful of PCS innovators promised a reward by the Federal Communications Commission for enterprising work in personal communications services. But three years and $350 million dollars later, its pioneer's preference award for the New York City license might...
Noting the Federal Communications Commission recently ended state regulation of cellular service rates in California, AirTouch Cellular Communications Inc. announced lower prices and new service plans in its Los Angeles market. The carrier reduced the price of its After Hours Plan to around $30...
August is supposed to be a slow month in the nation's capital, but even though Congress and the president are out of town there is movement on other fronts. There's some noise, too.Didn't you hear the giant suck-up sound from Dallas, where Democrats and...
