VoiceStream asked FCC for partial waiver of guidelines for deploy...
VoiceStream asked FCC for partial waiver of guidelines for deploying wireless priority access service (PAS) to begin offering PAS on voluntary basis immediately in N.Y., Washington and other cities that VoiceStream serves. Petition filed late Wed. follows up on…
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plans for limited relief that VoiceStream told FCC last week it would seek on PAS rules so that service could be offered to national security and emergency personnel (CD Nov 23 p6). Waiver request follows similar one filed by Verizon Wireless for implementing wireless PAS under agreement that carrier appears to have reached with National Communications System (NCS), which issued request for near-term PAS capability for N.Y., Salt Lake City, Washington. VoiceStream said it believed contract award wouldn’t be exclusive to Verizon. VoiceStream said it had been meeting with NCS and its contractor DynCorp since Sept. 11 to determine what PAS capabilities could be offered using GSM in Washington and N.Y. within 60 days and what could be implemented for near term and by end of 2002 on nationwide basis. VoiceStream told FCC it had revised original PAS solution it had proposed to one that had more features. Carrier said it could roll out PAS capability called Enhanced Multi-Level Precedence and Preemption (eMLPP), which lines up priority call for next- available slot in system when radio or network resources are busy. Seven different priority levels are offered for call set-up and call continuity if wireless call is handed off. VoiceStream said service was subscription-based and wouldn’t require any interaction with it in case of emergency because offering had “always-on” capability. Handsets using eMLPP technology aren’t yet commercially available, although VoiceStream said Sony/Ericsson’s wireless equipment joint venture had indicated it could offer them commercially for GSM operators in U.S. in 60-90 days. “Other mechanisms for allowing a choice of priority levels on a per-call basis that do not require specific eMLPP-capable handsets are being explored,” carrier said. VoiceStream asked that waiver stay in effect until such handsets were available commercially or until alternatives for providing choice of priority levels on per-call basis were in place. “Based on discussions between VoiceStream and various government agencies, we anticipate a statement of their support of VoiceStream’s request to be forthcoming, which should further attest to the fact that a limited waiver would serve the public interest,” carrier said. NCS already has submitted filing at FCC supporting Verizon’s waiver petition.