The Wireless Communications Association urged the FCC to refrain from...
The Wireless Communications Association urged the FCC to refrain from issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking based on Globalstar’s petition to operate a terrestrial low-power service (TLPS) with mobile satellite service spectrum. WCA said it’s “particularly troubled by the potential…
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for Globalstar’s terrestrial operations to cause interference to the BRS [broadband radio service] Channel 1,” it said in reply comments in docket RM-11685 (http://xrl.us/bodoqr). It’s unclear how Globalstar will maintain control over the upgraded devices that belong to its customers, “so that Globalstar will be able to remotely reduce power, limit bandwidth, or, if necessary, cease operations should interference to BRS Channel 1 occur,” it said. Globalstar said its petition builds on the momentum of the FCC’s recently-adopted AWS-4 order that gave authority to Dish Network to build a terrestrial network with MSS spectrum. The petition “undertakes similar pro-consumer, pro-investment reform of the Big LEO MSS-terrestrial rules,” it said (http://xrl.us/bodou9). The incorporation of high selectivity passband filters into TLPS access points “will also limit the risk of harmful interference to BRS-1,” it said. As developed through the rulemaking process, the commission’s rules, including Globalstar’s proposed out-of-band emission limits, “should provide sufficient protection to Clearwire and other 2.5 GHz licensees,” it said. Iridium further opposed the petition and claimed that it’s “at odds with the fundamental purpose of the Big LEO band, which provides essential MSS to first responders, U.S. military, U.S. government and commercial users,” it said (http://xrl.us/bodo54). The LTE proposal raises special concerns about the potential for harmful interference to MSS that have not been addressed, it said. The record reflects that the petition “lacks even the most fundamental information about its proposals,” it said. The Engineers for the Integrity of Broadcast Auxiliary Services Spectrum agreed that the petition leaves unanswered questions, “but these unanswered questions could be addressed at the NPRM stage,” it said (http://xrl.us/bodo6v). The group said it is disappointed that the U.S. GPS Industry Council “seems as uninformed about broadcaster’s use of the 2.5 GHz band as are the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi user groups.” Concerns regarding interference and the potential effect on unlicensed operations in the 2.4 GHz band matter to CEA, the association said (http://xrl.us/bodo9b). The TLPS could create new filtering issues for the Wi-Fi device manufacturers and potentially require them to “change filters in order to address new out-of-band-emissions from Globalstar’s operations,” it said.