NTIA told the FCC it is concerned that some parts of a recent Com...

interoperability standards within the federal government and among state and local public safety entities.” NTIA told the FCC that Sec. 303 of the Communications Act authorizes the FCC to regulate emissions from equipment used for commercial stations, but it exempts federal govt. operations. The Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) said earlier this week it planned to file a petition for reconsideration at the FCC on the decision, which was published in the Federal Register July 17. APCO said it would make a filing with other groups at the Commission on Mon., recommending in exchange for certain interim dates for transitioning to narrowband equipment in this spectrum, that an end date of 2018 be moved up to 2013 (CD Aug 14 p6). Existing interim dates in the rules include a prohibition on the manufacture or import of any 25 kHz equipment as of Jan. 1, 2008. NTIA, however, said it sought clarification of the impact of the rules on federal operations in the affected bands. NTIA sought reconsideration of the equipment certification, manufacture and importation prohibitions. In part, the rules bar the certification of any equipment capable of operating one voice path per 25 kHz of spectrum at 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz starting Jan. 1, 2005. NTIA said its concern is that the 162-174 MHz is allocated for federal govt. use and falls within the narrowbanding order. Citing Sec. 303 of the Act, NTIA said the FCC “must clarify that these prohibitions do not apply to federal government stations and equipment operating in the 162-174 MHz band,” which is authorized for federal use. NTIA said it is also concerned that the equipment certification, important and manufacturing restrictions in the order “could negatively impact the ability of federal, state and local public safety agencies to implement interoperable telecommunications systems across all levels of government. As the Commission is well aware, achieving a more integrated communications solution for our federal, state and local first responders is an essential part of our nation’s homeland security efforts.” While the order sets prohibitions on certification of certain wideband equipment starting in Jan. 2005 and the manufacturing and importation of wideband equipment in Jan. 2008, it doesn’t actually require public safety systems to migrate to 12.5 kHz narrowband technology until Jan. 1, 2018. Adverse effects to public safety systems from the inability to obtain 25 kHz equipment during this long transition is that such operations wouldn’t have the opportunity to modify their equipment during this period. It asked the FCC to defer the effective date until the impact on public safety is further assessed.