The FCC resolved a number of issues on 800 MHz rebanding in a cleanup order handed down Wed., but declined to address the main remaining issue - a Sprint request to extend the 18-month rebanding benchmark. The order instead addresses rebanding of enhanced specialized mobile radio (ESMR) licensees, assorted international issues and matters raised in pending petitions for reconsideration or clarification.
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
Establishing 700 MHz as the key new band for advanced wireless services will be a top priority the U.S. at the 2007 WRC, U.S. WRC Ambassador Richard Russell said during a wide- ranging interview. Russell, who formally became ambassador this month, said preparations are well under way for the quadrennial conference.
Sprint Nextel fired back at AT&T Thurs. over complaints about the pace of the 800 MHz transition. The FCC should spurn AT&T calls to subject Sprint to sanctions if it doesn’t meet various reconfiguration benchmarks, Sprint said.
Broadcasters stepped up their attack on the XM-Sirius merger, questioning the fundamental arguments that the satellite radio companies are making on why their market isn’t unique and shouldn’t be analyzed on its own as DoJ evaluates their merger application. Meanwhile, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin told shareholders Thurs. that this week’s XM service disruption (CD May 22 p14) could create an argument for the proposed $11 billion merger, because it shows redundancy is needed.
PHILADELPHIA -- Three judges of the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia seemed to open the door to nullifying revised FCC rules on unjust enrichment. They heard arguments in a case pitting designated entities (DEs) led by Council Tree against the FCC. But the judges also seemed reluctant to overturn 2006’s advanced wireless services auction.
A $27.5 billion TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners buy of Alltel likely will be embraced by the Justice Dept. and FCC, especially since it creates a strong independent carrier positioned to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless, lawyers and analysts said Mon. The acquisition is the largest leveraged buyout (LBO) in the U.S. telecom industry. The companies hope to finalize the deal by Q1 2008.
The FCC expects Sprint Nextel to spend as reasonably needed in its study of whether to pay 800 MHz rebanding costs sought by public safety agencies, the agency said Fri. in response to complaints by public safety officials. The 5 commissioners also issued a rare joint statement saying they expect rebanding to be done promptly. The order and statement came as the FCC bears down on the ongoing 800 MHz rebanding, designed to keep Sprint Nextel calls from interfering with public safety communications.
DoJ asked the FCC to loosen a standard on how much data wireless carriers must provide to law enforcement under CALEA for data transmissions subject to taps. DoJ wants the FCC to launch an expedited rulemaking requiring carriers to provide packet activity data, timing data on calls and “reasonably available handset location information” for wireless data exchanges falling under federal surveillance. Carriers also would have to certify that material they provide is accurate and reliable.
The FCC should adopt multi-tiered standards for what it deems broadband and consider varying standards for different technologies, CTIA said in comments. The group was weighing in on an FCC inquiry’s questions on how to define broadband in a changing marketplace and on how to speed deployment. CTIA stressed that wireless may not offer the same speeds as wireline but is still broadband and should be so classified. The FCC issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) last month, asking for comments to help it write the 5th Sec. 706 report to Congress on broadband deployment, as required by the Telecom Act (CD April 17 p1).
The FCC should be wary of comments by handset makers who oppose its Feb. petition seeking Carterfone rules (CD Feb 22 p6) for wireless networks, Skype said. Their comments are colored by fear of carrier reprisals, the Internet phone company said in reply comments. It voiced confidence that the Commission can find a “responsible middle ground” making “burdensome” rules on carriers unnecessary.