The FCC proposed a $17,000 fine against a New York amateur radio operator for alleged repeat violations. Harold Guretzky of Queens “was previously warned regarding deliberate interference in writing by the Enforcement Bureau but continued interfering with other amateur radio licensees’ radio communications,” the bureau said. Rules set a base fine of $7,000 for each day of causing interference to authorized stations, the notice of apparent liability said. “Given the totality of the circumstances, and consistent with the Forfeiture Policy Statement, we conclude that a significant upward adjustment is warranted.” Guretzky couldn’t be reached for comment.
The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment on Weatherdock's waiver request for its easyOne maritime survivor locating device (MSLD), which uses open loop alerting in compliance with the current Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) standard. The devices are designed to be worn on a garment or life jacket and help quickly locate someone who falls off a vessel, the bureau said Thursday: “It seeks a waiver to permit equipment certification and use of MSLDs with open loop operation pursuant to the revised RTCM standard while the Commission considers whether to incorporate that standard into its rules.” Comments are due Nov. 4, replies Nov. 19, in docket 19-281.
The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a waiver sought by Ocean Signal for a personal locator beacon (PLB) in spectrum used for maritime navigation. The beacon incorporates automatic identification system (AIS) functionality in compliance with a recently published Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services standard. In May, the bureau sought comment in docket 19-124. The company "offers improvements to current PLBs such as interoperability with existing AIS equipment, location technology, and identification of persons in distress,” the bureau said, released Thursday: “We agree with Ocean Signal that application of the rules in this instance would frustrate their underlying purpose -- promoting public safety -- and that a waiver would serve the public interest because use of a PLB with AIS position locating will facilitate recovery of lost mariners and other persons in distress.”
The Association of American Railroads raised concerns as the FCC looks at reconfiguring the 900 MHz band to allow broadband (see 1907030028), in a call with Wireless Bureau staff. “Relocation of any of its channels would need to be done on a nationwide or at least very large regional basis,” it filed, posted Thursday in docket 17-200. “Use of different frequencies in different counties would not be feasible because of the nature of its network architecture. Rail switches and track signals, which are controlled remotely using the 900 MHz network, need to link to more than one base station in order to provide redundancy ... especially as it is not uncommon for base station backhaul connectivity … to be down for long periods.”
Get more information on critical 6 GHz transmissions before approving sharing with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed users, the National Spectrum Management Association filed, posted Thursday in docket 18-295. “It is critical for the FCC to assess the extent to which current operations in the 6 GHz band support mission-critical services, and the operational and network growth criteria for those services, as a fundamental starting point for assessing the feasibility of introducing additional services into the band,” NSMA said: That "should take the form of either an FCC Fixed Service Database enhancement, or an audit or a functionally equivalent official study finding.” Require use of a testbed to study sharing “under realistic conditions,” the group said. The agency is studying how the band can be shared with Wi-Fi (see 1909090057).
Surecall is trying to rally support among resellers against Pivotal Commware's waiver request for a 5G signal booster. Surecall opposed the waiver at the FCC (see 1909300050). The only other opposition came from T-Mobile, which said the device should face consumer booster rules (see 1910010072). Waiver was sought by an “industry newcomer,” Surecall emailed resellers: “If this waiver is allowed to pass, the manufacturer will be free to create and sell boosters that do not meet current FCC requirements. Their sales model is also direct-to-carrier, which bypasses the retail channel -- essentially cutting out future revenue for booster resellers like you.” Surecall noted filings are due Monday in docket 19-272. “Please submit your comment this week to be sure it’s received by the FCC with ample time,” the manufacturer said. Pivotal didn’t comment.
The Wireless Infrastructure Association is pushing for FCC action on its and CTIA's petitions for wireless siting rule clarity (see 1909130062). Last month, the Wireless and Wireline bureaus sought comment. WIA executives met with all five commissioners, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 19-250. “The petitions call for harmonizing the Commission's rules to allow for limited expansions of the compound when replacing or collocating new equipment on the existing tower, which will improve public safety operations,” said WIA. It noted the importance to FirstNet, which relies on collocation on existing sites. “Expanding the compound up to thirty feet would permit the installation of critical equipment like backup generators,” WIA said: “Many FirstNet deployments are held up by municipalities or the inability to expand the compound.” Attendees were CEOs Jonathan Adelstein of WIA, TowerCo's Todd Boyer, Crown Castle's Jay Brown, Jeffrey Stoops from SBA Communications and Diamond Communications' Ed Farscht.
CTIA is back at the Supreme Court with its challenge of an RF disclosure law by Berkeley, California. The Supreme Court filed CTIA’s Monday petition for writ of certiorari in case No. 19-439, the court’s clerk said in a Wednesday notice (in Pacer) to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Answering a Supreme Court remand, the appeals court in July upheld for a second time Berkeley’s law that requires the wireless industry to provide a warning about possible dangers of overexposure to wireless frequencies (see 1907020059). The 9th Circuit expanded the scope of the Supreme Court’s 1985 Zauderer decision and “watered down its requirements, holding that all compelled speech about the speaker’s products is subject to rational-basis review,” said CTIA's petition. “These holdings substantially increase the government’s ability to dictate the speech of commercial actors, in direct conflict with the precedent of this Court and other circuits.” Berkeley expected CTIA’s appeal and is “evaluating the petition,” City Attorney Farimah Brown emailed Thursday.
Humatics asked the FCC to act on a waiver it sought in July (see 1907160052) of ultra-wideband rules permitting U.S. use of its microlocation systems. UWB rules mandate devices be handheld and relatively small, the company said. The Humatics devices would be mounted on industrial automation and manufacturing equipment. The only objections were by the GPS Innovation Alliance, “which sought limited clarifications on the scope of the request,” Humatics replied, posted Wednesday in docket 19-242. The company's "clarifications demonstrate that Humatics’ requested waiver will not result in any increased risk of harmful interference to GPS,” the company said. Aviation Spectrum Resources, Inc. shares GPSIA concerns “the Request lacks critical information that would allow ASRI to assess the impact on the potential for interference.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr visited an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico to speak with RigNet CEO Steven Pickett and others about the offshore network. The company discussed the importance of protecting its 6 GHz microwave network. “As the FCC considers the unlicensed use of 6 GHz spectrum, we have stressed that this would create network interference and could endanger offshore crews and other LTE users in the Gulf,” Pickett said, it recounted Wednesday. “The Gulf should be excluded.” Ex-FCC official Jamie Barnett, now RigNet senior vice president-government services, also met with Carr. T-Mobile, which has a Gulf 4G LTE network with RigNet, also participated.