U.S. spectrum policy should move away from current “piecemeal” approach, particularly on upcoming 3G decisions, CTIA Pres. Tom Wheeler said Wed. At press lunch, he said current 3G discussions between industry and govt. presented opportunity to craft national spectrum policy plan that would look at timelines such as 5 to 10 years and be updated periodically. “What we have to break ourselves of is this piecemeal spectrum policy approach,” he said. With larger “pot” of spectrum on which to base decisions, policymakers would have more flexibility, he said. Asked about recent FCC decision to delay Ch. 60-69 auction and impact on 3G timelines, Wheeler said 700 MHz band was “potentially part of the solution because it provides alternatives for migration and other such developments.” He said “that’s beachfront property” with potential interest for Dept. of Defense. Overall uncertainty involving NextWave licenses takes 30 MHz of wireless spectrum off table now for any carrier to use, he said. Lauding attention that govt. players such as Commerce Dept. and FCC have paid to 3G decisions, Wheeler again called for Commission to eliminate spectrum cap to provide nearer term relief. “What is happening is pressure is building up… and there has to be this escape valve,” he said. After recent House and Senate hearings on 3G, discussions have continued with wireless industry and govt. at White House “involving all of the major players” in debate on how advanced wireless spectrum would be carved out, he said. As for carriers’ Enhanced 911 Phase 2 waiver requests, Wheeler stressed extent to which both public safety answering points (PSAPs) and wireless industry had to grapple with readiness. But he cited report that Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials estimated 10% of PSAPs involved Phase 1 complaint. Wheeler said that by contrast. all wireless carrier switches were Phase 1 ready. “What I have been trying to say to the PSAP community is we are going to be there, what are you going to do to ensure you will be able to take that latitude and longitude information and use it? I hope they come up with a plan,” Wheeler said. Separately, he touted early attendance and exhibitor figures for CTIA Wireless I.T. and Internet 2001 show in San Diego in Sept. Exhibitor registration figures are up 122% over last year, when 206 firms exhibited. Attendee preregistration also is running ahead of last year, he said. Wheeler said reported increases in IT spending and CTIA show figures point to uptick for wireless data industry. “We're starting to come out of the wilderness insofar as wireless data is concerned,” Wheeler said.
After series of waiver requests that FCC has received on upcoming deadline for Phase 2 of E911 implementation, 15 House Democrats and one Republican urged Chmn. Powell to hold fast to Oct. 1 date. Citing Commission’s work to resolve problems related to timely deployment, letter said: “We are concerned that the coordination of effort may be hindered by use of the FCC’s waiver process as a delay tactic rather than for legitimate, intended purposes.” Letter was written by Democratic Reps. Eshoo (Cal.), Markey (Mass.), Luther (Minn.), Green (Tex.), Harman (Cal.), Rush (Ill.), McCarthy (Mo.), Gordon (Tenn.), Farr (Cal.), Kildee (Miss.). Also signing July 31 letter were Democratic Reps. Berman (Cal.), Blumenauer (Ore.), McKinney (Ga.), Pelosi (Cal.), Kind (Wis.) and lone Republican English (Pa.). About half of members signing missive, also sent to Wireless Bureau Chief Tom Sugrue, belong to House Commerce Committee. “In our view, there has been adequate time for wireless carriers and manufacturers to take the necessary steps which would allow them to meet these long established deadlines,” lawmakers wrote. Missive contended basic wireless E911 parameters have been in place since 1996 and many of subsequent changes have been done at behest of carriers themselves. Letter comes after all largest wireless carriers have submitted waiver requests to FCC, which haven’t yet been acted on, concerning Oct. 1 deadline. Carriers asking for temporary waiver include AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Nextel and Qwest Wireless. Two more recent additions to queue of waivers include Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS. In their waiver requests, carriers outlined extent to which network equipment and upgraded handsets will not be available on time. House Telecom Subcommittee members had expressed concerns at hearing last month about when advanced wireless location capability of Phase 2 of E911 would be ready. At hearing, ranking subcommittee Democrat Markey had warned FCC against making waivers for sake of “business convenience.” Groups representing public safety answering points (PSAPs) have continued to raise concerns about when E911 Phase 2 capabilities will be implemented. Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), National Emergency Number Assn. and National Assn. of 911 Administrators commented on pending Cingular waiver request for its GSM networks. Groups noted carrier plans to implement Enhanced Observed Time Difference of Arrival solution as quickly as equipment becomes available and network upgrades happen. This part of waiver request comes close to meeting FCC waiver guidelines, groups told FCC in comments. They also point out that Cingular has rejected alternative handset-based solutions because they aren’t available now. “That, however, is a somewhat circular argument as handsets might have been available by now had Cingular and others placed firm orders earlier in the process,” APCO and other groups said.
Sprint PCS told FCC Mon. it won’t be able to comply fully with Phase 2 Enhanced 911 rules or finalize “a simultaneous, national roll out of enhanced 911 location systems” by Oct. 1 deadline. Citing factors such as vendor delays, Sprint asked Commission for limited, temporary waiver of certain Phase 2 requirements. Carrier also outlined for agency areas where it’s on track to meet mandates, including plans to introduce more than 5 million GPS-equipped handsets by year-end 2002, and conversion of all new handset-models to GPS by Dec. 31, 2002. Phase 2 requirements for which Sprint PCS is seeking relief are: (1) Deployment of network infrastructure. Sprint pointed to Nortel delays in providing needed switching software to support Phase 2 location capabilities. One Lucent market should be ready for Phase 2 by Oct. 1, but “complete conversion of all Lucent markets” isn’t expected until 2002. (2) Sprint PCS may not be able to meet interim requirements that 25% of all new handsets be Phase 2- capable by Dec. 31, with 50% by June 30, 2002. Carrier said it could meet requirement of starting to sell GPS handsets by Oct. 1 and end-date requirement of full compliance by year-end 2002. Interim handset requirements may not be met because of conversion of Sprint PCS network to 3G. (3) “Due to the sheer volume of PSAP (public safety answering point) requests and the complexity of their installation, Sprint PCS will be unable to implement enhanced 911 systems within 6 months of every request received.” Carrier outlined preliminary deployment schedule that would phase in service roll-out. Sprint also raised concerns about lack of progress among LECs in upgrading automatic location information (ALI) databases to support Phase 2. Wireless industry and public safety community came up with interim standard that calls for upgrades to ALI database used by PSAPs and LECs. Based on responses Sprint PCS has received so far, “LECs are not making plans to upgrade their ALI databases to support these functions,” carrier said. Sprint said: “Because this issue promises to substantially undermine the efforts of PSAPs and wireless carriers to deploy Phase 2 services,” carrier said it’s urging FCC to launch inquiry into LEC preparedness in this area. LEC readiness is starting to be raised at FCC by other carriers, as well, said Luisa Lancetti, vp-PCS regulatory affairs. Extent to which Sprint is far along on Phase 2 deployment has made issue apparent to it now, she said. “We have made significant steps to make real this location capability,” she said. Later this summer, Sprint plans to conduct first market application in R.I., launching first GPS- enhanced 911 system, she noted. In its filing, Sprint PCS also said that by Oct. 1 it will have introduced at least one GPS handset model “in commercial quantities” and will have installed new national platforms to conduct location calculation and routing for these handsets. Sprint PCS also said that by Oct. 1 it will have tested new switching software for at least one vendor.
FCC seeks comment on wireless E911 Phase 2 waiver request filed July 23 by Qwest Wireless. Carrier asked for limited waiver of Phase 2 rules to deploy assisted-global positioning satellite (A-GPS) hybrid E911 system on schedule that differed from FCC rules. Qwest Wireless said decision to change network-based location technology to A-GPS system made waiver necessary due to availability of location-capable handsets it plans to use. Qwest Wireless proposed schedule to: (1) Begin selling and activating location-capable handsets by Dec. 31. (2) Ensure at least 25% of all new handsets activated were location capable by March 31, 2002; 50% by Dec. 31, 2002; 100% by March 31, 2003. Qwest Wireless doesn’t seek relief from Dec. 31, 2005, 95% penetration requirement, Commission said. Qwest Wireless said because A-GPS hybrid system used network component and because network vendors couldn’t provide E911 Phase 2 equipment to meet existing schedule, waiver of those rules also was necessary. In markets served by Lucent switches, carrier requested extension until end of Dec. and in markets served by Nortel switches, Oct. 2002. Qwest Wireless said limited waiver was in public interest because A-GPS would provide more accurate information to public safety answering points. Comments due Aug. 20, replies Aug. 30.
Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) lauded Cingular Wireless as first major U.S. wireless carrier to join Project Locate. In April, APCO kicked off project, under which 48 states have chosen model public service answering points (PSAPs) that would be ready to receive early implementation requests under Phase 2 of Enhanced 911. At that time, APCO officials said no wireless carrier had joined PSAPs effort. Others supporting Project Locate include Federal Highway Administration, HiTech Systems, Intrado, Schema Systems. APCO plans breakfast meeting Aug. 6 in Salt Lake City to recognize participants in project and encourage other wireless carriers to join.
Largest U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless told FCC late Tues. it couldn’t deploy its planned Enhanced 911 (E911) Phase 2 solutions by regulatory deadline and requested limited waiver. Verizon is latest in string of carriers to file waiver requests with FCC on Phase 2 timelines, joining Nextel, AT&T Wireless, Cingular and others. Verizon filing came in advance of FCC Oct. deadline for beginning to deploy more specific wireless location capabilities of Phase 2. Verizon proposed alternative compliance timeline, requesting temporary waiver of Phase 2 handset-based location technology deadlines. Carrier attributed temporary waiver request to fact that network upgrades and Phase 2-capable handsets wouldn’t be available in time from vendors. For Phase 2 deployment of its network assisted GPS-advanced forward link trilateration handset solution, carrier proposed to: (1) Begin deploying network-assisted portion by Oct. 1 in its switches and cell sites for Lucent markets, Jan. 1, for Nortel markets and Nov. 1 for Motorola markets. (2) Complete deployment of those network upgrades by April 1 for Lucent markets, Aug. 1 for Nortel markets and March 1, 2003, for Motorola markets. (3) Begin selling Phase 2-compliant handsets that used that technology in Dec. Under proposal, 25% of new handsets would be activated by July 31, 2002, 50% by March 31, 2003, 100% by Dec. 31, 2003. “It is important to note that this schedule would result in the deployment of network upgrades in all of Verizon Wireless’s markets, irrespective of receiving” request from public safety answering point (PSAP), Verizon said. Aside from deploying GPS-based software solution, Verizon Wireless plans to provide network-based location information to PSAPs for many customers until its full Phase 2 technology is rolled out. “Verizon Wireless is committing to deployment of Phase 2 technology in its network in advance of many PSAPs’ own capability to do so,” filing said. That means that customers who buy Phase 2-capable handsets in those areas “will be ready to be served as soon as the PSAP upgrades its own emergency communications capabilities to use the location information that Verizon Wireless will be ready to transmit.”
Congress can help new automatic auto crash notification (ACN) technology increase vehicle safety by encouraging research grants and by keeping effort free of regulation, ComCARE Alliance said Thurs. While Capitol Hill understands value of telematics -- application of voice and wireless technology to in-vehicle services -- “there is no government initiative to install telematics in automobiles,” ATX Technologies Pres. Steven Millstein said at media breakfast that started all-day “technology demonstration” in Rayburn Bldg. “Despite the lack of a mandate from Congress, safety is on the minds of the automakers, which are voluntarily rolling out automatic crash notification technology,” he said. Congress needs to understand importance of ACN and “allow it to flourish without any intervention,” he said. ComCARE is coalition of medical, 911, law enforcement and public safety groups; wireless carriers; automotive companies; telematics suppliers. Group said it seeks $5-10 million in federal grants to support R&D efforts for ACN technologies and protocols.
In continued exchange between public safety community and CTIA on thorny Enhanced 911 issues, CTIA Pres. Tom Wheeler wrote to 2 groups this week, elaborating on remaining challenges to implementation of Phase 2 before Oct. 1 deadline. Letter is follow-up to strongly worded July 2 missive by CTIA to Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and National Emergency Number Assn. (NENA), from which some wireless carriers had distanced themselves. Wheeler wrote July 17 to NENA and APCO that he wants to “continue our dialogue” on joint E911 challenges. “The purpose of my previous letter was to inquire of your organizations how you intend to establish equivalent deliverable expectations for your members,” Wheeler wrote. Wheeler cited assertion by groups that public safety answering points (PSAPs) not ready to roll out Phase 2 of E911 today will be ready within 6 months after they submit Phase 2 request to particular wireless carrier. “With all due respect, that is exactly the heart of the problem I was trying to raise in my earlier correspondence,” Wheeler said. “With carrier-enabled handsets or networks available, consumers will expect location capability whether or not a particular PSAP has determined it wants to make a Phase 2 request.” Wheeler said wireless carriers will know whether they buy E911-capable handset or have local wireless network that supports this location-specific capability. “The only way they will have equivalent knowledge that the information being transmitted can be used for their safety is for all of America’s PSAPs to step up and commit to a parallel implementation schedule,” Wheeler said. He noted that “major problems” still must be worked out concerning Phase One capabilities for E911. “Since Phase One is a technical precursor to Phase 2, should not those problems get worked out before Phase 2 makes things even more difficult,” Wheeler asked in detailed 7-page letter. Wheeler said that point of his previous correspondence was to seek similar commitment by PSAPs to deal with these issues in manner in which solutions are binding on every PSAP. Structure is needed, for example, on whether location-specific information will be processed by PSAPs using SS-7 protocol or IP format, Wheeler said. “The regulatory process is imposing uniform requirements on wireless carriers, what will be the equivalent solution for your members,” Wheeler said.
FCC Wireless Bureau asked comment on request for waiver of Enhanced 911 Phase 2 deadline by Corr Wireless Communications, which is among several carriers with waiver petitions pending. Corr is seeking temporary waiver of FCC Phase 2 rules to allow it to deploy network solution on graduated implementation timeline. Corr said FCC’s 6-month implementation deadline for network-based solutions had been triggered by public safety answering point request in its service area. Corr, rural carrier with fewer than 21,000 subscribers, said network solution was expensive and graduated implementation was needed to ease economic burden. Corr told FCC it wouldn’t have revenue to cover high costs of implementing network solution and that its customer base was too small to raise rates to cover those costs. Corr proposed it immediately install switch-related infrastructure needed for Phase 2 and provide service to top 35% of cell sites of any requesting PSAP within 9 months of receiving request. Comments are due July 26, replies Aug. 6.
FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comment on what criteria public safety answering points (PSAPs) should meet at time of request for Enhanced 911 Phase 2 service. Bureau requested feedback on what would demonstrate “sufficient steps” to ensure it could receive and use E911 data before wireless carrier delivers service. In April, FCC sought comments on petition by Richardson, Tex., that sought Commission clarification of process by which PSAPs make requests for Phase 2 E911 service. City contended request for service was valid when carrier was informed that necessary equipment upgrades for Phase 2 service would be finalized before delivery of that service and when adequate cost recovery mechanism for upgrades was in place. Wireless carriers have opposed petition, arguing that PSAPs already must be able to receive and use E911 data as condition of “valid” E911 request. Wireless Bureau said it sought comments on “identifiable, measurable criteria” that could “reasonably predict for the Commission, carrier and PSAP whether a PSAP will be ready to receive and utilize Phase 2 information within 6 months of a request.” Among factors that could demonstrate that, it said, were: (1) Whether necessary funding was available. (2) Whether there were purchase orders with vendors that would install necessary upgrades within 6 months. (3) Whether arrangements had been made with LECs to supply services such as trunking. Among other questions is whether PSAP must show it has “state of the art” mapping capability instead of less sophisticated plotting mechanism. Comments are due July 25, replies Aug. 1.