The departure of Gary Forsee as CEO of Sprint Nextel is expected to have little effect on the 800 MHz rebanding, which is entering its critical end stages. Acting CEO Paul Saleh will have to make a nearly immediate decision about whether to appeal a Sept. 11 FCC decision imposing new 800 MHz rebanding requirements on the carrier. Sprint announced Monday that Forsee was leaving immediately and a special committee of its board would search for a successor.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology has committed to a second round of tests on devices designed to operate in the broadcast white spaces, supporters and opponents said Friday. OET called in representatives of the sides for a meeting Friday afternoon, and officials said they would do field and lab tests like the ones done earlier this year on any devices submitted.
The FCC is giving wireless and wireline carriers a break on installing backup power at critical facilities, but not as big as industry wanted. An FCC order, released Thursday, warns carriers not to enter agreements just to avoid having to install backup power (CD Oct 2 p1). The FCC adopted the requirement in its followup to Hurricane Katrina. Six groups had filed petitions for reconsideration challenging the backup power mandate.
The FCC should offer TV white spaces spectrum, but only in an auction for fixed use, especially wireless backhaul, the Rural Telecommunications Group and FiberTower said. Their white paper contradicts proposals by Microsoft, Dell and other high-tech companies, which call for the spectrum to be made available unlicensed for mobile devices. Other groups and companies, including Sprint Nextel, also are starting to tell the FCC that the best use for the spectrum is wireless backhaul. They call that use critical to support buildout of cell towers needed as advanced wireless service and 700 MHz spectrum goes on line.
Members of the FCC’s Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee clashed Wednesday on whether their final report specifically should state that carriers may pass on to consumers some costs tied to sending alerts to cellphones, including handset upgrades. The provision passed after sharp debate. The committee, mandated by the Warn Act, approved a final report on broadcast of emergency alerts to cellphones. The report goes to the FCC, which is to issue a rulemaking seeking further comment.
Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., said Tuesday he would be willing to withdraw legislation that would force the FCC to act on an order opening the white spaces to unlicensed use, if the FCC moves forward without a congressional push. But Inslee said he’s ready to revive his bill if the commission doesn’t move quickly to approve a white spaces order. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin had indicated a vote could come as early as the October meeting, which hasn’t been scheduled. Martin has since indicated a vote may have to be pushed past month’s end (CD Sept 27 p1).
Leap Wireless and MetroPCS filed petitions for reconsideration at the FCC, asking the agency to change provisions in its roaming rule under which a carrier doesn’t have to honor a request from another carrier with spectrum holdings in a particular market. T-Mobile also filed late Monday.
The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia handed down what amounts to a nondecision in a Council Tree lawsuit against the FCC that could have overturned the advanced wireless services auction. The court said it lacks jurisdiction because Council Tree filed its challenge before the auction order was final. The decision left the firm free to mount another challenge, and Council Tree indicated it will pursue its case against the FCC.
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps remains a “believer” in the benefits of using the broadcast white spaces for wireless broadband, but he still needs to be persuaded that the use of portable devices won’t interfere with the DTV transition, he told reporters Thursday. Copps also expressed strong support for holding an en banc hearing of the commission to examine early termination fees imposed by wireless carriers and other companies that the agency regulates.
The Department of Justice defended a proposal to have the FCC require carriers to provide law enforcement with more data under CALEA for wireless data transmissions. The request is reasonable, Justice said. In filings in July, carriers and other companies complained that U.S. authorities “overreached” in seeking more surveillance access to wireless packet technology (CD July 30 p3).