‘If there ever was a time for the FCC to get serious and lift the...

generation wireless spectrum in light of military’s new focus on war preparation and following FCC decision to not relocate MMDS and Instructional TV Fixed Service licensees. “It has a domino effect on other decisions the Administration has to make on spectrum,” Wheeler said of MMDS decision. Order added mobile allocation to 2500-2690 MHz band and spared incumbent licensees from relocation threat posed by 3G (CD Sept 25 p1). “The Commission tried to have it both ways,” Wheeler said, referring to fact that it took spectrum off table for relocation and acknowledged that mobile applications in band weren’t feasible in short term but incumbents had option to deploy them at some point. In response to repeated questions, Wheeler said extent to which military community’s attention had shifted since Sept. 11 attacks didn’t mean that 3G talks at Administration level had ceased. How disaster would affect eventual timing of 3G issue is unclear, Wheeler said: “We have all been trying to get our sea legs.” He said, “There continues to be interest in the Administration and Congress in resolving spectrum issues.” Decision by FCC to provide spectrum cap relief “could put a patch” on spectrum capacity problems industry faces in interim, before 3G decisions were being reached. “We have always talked about a win- win solution,” he said, noting DoD is “the first win in that” and industry would be 2nd. Of Oct. 1 deadline for Enhanced 911 Phase 2, for which dozens of carriers have submitted waiver requests to FCC, Wheeler said it wasn’t possible to have one-size-fits-all approach because of wide array of strategies carriers were pursuing. “We will see the Commission and carriers enter into implementation agreements,” Wheeler said. While carriers have been seeking flexibility on deadline, he stressed: “It is the starting line, not the finish line. Everybody will have an implementation plan.” Wheeler said he wasn’t familiar with any of detailed negotiations taking place between carriers and Commission. “The Commission has held everybody’s feet to the fire,” he said. He also continued to express concern about readiness of public safety answering points (PSAPs) on receiving end of more detailed location information required by Phase 2. “It’s a nontrivial challenge,” he said. “We need statewide implementation plans,” he said, noting that effort needs to be at same pace as federal program.