VoiceStream asked FCC for partial waiver of guidelines for deploying wireless priority access service (PAS) to begin offering PAS on voluntary basis immediately in N.Y., Washington and other cities that VoiceStream serves. Petition filed late Wed. follows up on plans for limited relief that VoiceStream told FCC last week it would seek on PAS rules so that service could be offered to national security and emergency personnel (CD Nov 23 p6). Waiver request follows similar one filed by Verizon Wireless for implementing wireless PAS under agreement that carrier appears to have reached with National Communications System (NCS), which issued request for near-term PAS capability for N.Y., Salt Lake City, Washington. VoiceStream said it believed contract award wouldn’t be exclusive to Verizon. VoiceStream said it had been meeting with NCS and its contractor DynCorp since Sept. 11 to determine what PAS capabilities could be offered using GSM in Washington and N.Y. within 60 days and what could be implemented for near term and by end of 2002 on nationwide basis. VoiceStream told FCC it had revised original PAS solution it had proposed to one that had more features. Carrier said it could roll out PAS capability called Enhanced Multi-Level Precedence and Preemption (eMLPP), which lines up priority call for next- available slot in system when radio or network resources are busy. Seven different priority levels are offered for call set-up and call continuity if wireless call is handed off. VoiceStream said service was subscription-based and wouldn’t require any interaction with it in case of emergency because offering had “always-on” capability. Handsets using eMLPP technology aren’t yet commercially available, although VoiceStream said Sony/Ericsson’s wireless equipment joint venture had indicated it could offer them commercially for GSM operators in U.S. in 60-90 days. “Other mechanisms for allowing a choice of priority levels on a per-call basis that do not require specific eMLPP-capable handsets are being explored,” carrier said. VoiceStream asked that waiver stay in effect until such handsets were available commercially or until alternatives for providing choice of priority levels on per-call basis were in place. “Based on discussions between VoiceStream and various government agencies, we anticipate a statement of their support of VoiceStream’s request to be forthcoming, which should further attest to the fact that a limited waiver would serve the public interest,” carrier said. NCS already has submitted filing at FCC supporting Verizon’s waiver petition.
House Appropriations Committee report (H.Rpt. 107-298) for Dept. of Defense (DoD) funding bill (HR-3338) was approved 216-211 by voice vote on floor Wed. night, paving way for $1.8 billion in HUD-administered community development block grants for N.Y. Telcos, broadcasters and any businesses affected by Sept. 11 terrorist attack on World Trade Center (CD Nov 29 p9) can compete for grants. Some members of N.Y. delegation reiterated concern that report shortchanged city’s disaster recovery efforts and contradicted promise by President Bush to provide N.Y., Va. and Pa. with half of $40 billion emergency supplemental funds. Although Rules Committee agreed to attach block grant amendment by Rep. Walsh (R-N.Y.) to report, it restricted ability of other members to submit amendment that would codify provision of emergency funds approved by White House slated for N.Y. However, several members from around nation resented attempts to reserve large chunk of appropriations for N.Y., pointing out that entire nation was affected by attacks. Rep. Miller (D-Cal.) said Walsh amendment’s focus on needs of N.Y. jeopardized emergency unemployment funds for affected workers nationwide: “We cannot let that be the legacy of this Congress. We cannot help the victims of New York by creating victims in [other states] where hundreds of thousands of people are unemployed because of the layoffs.” Report, which contains DoD and non-DoD emergency funding beyond what Bush already had signed, also has provision that designates $8.25 million in NTIA grants for public broadcasters whose infrastructure was lost in lower Manhattan. Rep. Burr (R-N.C.) said he appreciated challenges faced by broadcasters affected by tragedy, but questioned wisdom of giving stations millions of dollars when they hadn’t found sites for replacement towers: “For this reason, I think it is only appropriate that NTIA refrain from granting this money to the designated stations until a proper site is secured to construct a replacement tower. I urge the NTIA to use its expertise and planning resources to help New York broadcasters with any engineering and technical decisions about the placement of the new tower. However, any actual grant of these monies should occur only after such a tower is located.” Appropriations Committee Chmn. Young (R- Fla.) concurred: “The NTIA shall make the funding available to the stations as soon as the most appropriate location of the replacement tower is secured.”
House debate on Appropriations Committee report (H.Rpt. 107-298) for FY 2002 Dept. of Defense funding bill (HR-3338) continued past our Wed. deadline. House Rules Committee Tues. night had approved floor consideration amendment that would carve out $1.8 billion in HUD-administered community development block grants for N.Y. businesses affected by Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. N.Y. delegation has been pressing House leadership for amendment (CD Nov 28 p2), charging that emergency supplemental appropriations for disaster relief failed to adequately address damages sustained by telcos and public broadcasters with facilities in and around World Trade Center. Report also proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funds for national infrastructure protection and network security initiatives related to terrorist attacks.
Deputy Defense Secy. Paul Wolfowitz asked Commerce Secy. Donald Evans to advocate delay in final regulatory decision on ultra-wideband (UWB) until “at least February.” Expectation of some industry observers had been that UWB could be taken up at FCC’s Dec. 12 agenda meeting, although timing was unclear because NTIA still must submit final input to FCC on rulemaking, sources said. FCC Chmn. Powell told House Appropriations Subcommittee earlier this year that Commission could issue UWB rulemaking by year-end, although he said at time that agency was awaiting final evaluation from govt. on UWB interference issues (CD May 23 p7). In letter to Evans last week, Wolfowitz said DoD’s review of preliminary draft of FCC’s UWB rules “indicates they will not provide adequate protection for GPS and other critical DoD systems… They also raise significant national spectrum management policy issues such as the intentional operation of nonlicensed devices in nationally restricted bands and in internationally designated passive-only bands.” Several sources said item on UWB began circulating on 8th floor at FCC earlier this week.
ANAHEIM -- Some of country’s leading cable operators expressed optimism that services that satellite couldn’t deliver -- video-on-demand (VoD), subscription VoD, interactivity, high-speed data and telephony -- would solidify cable’s relationship with current customers and bring many defectors to satellite back into fold. Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt, AT&T Broadband CEO Bill Schleyer and Charter CEO Carl Vogel spoke at Western Cable Show here. Britt brushed aside question on whether AOL-Time Warner was interested in acquiring AT&T Broadband, which has been in play since Comcast earlier this year made unsolicited $44.5 billion bid, which was rejected. Schleyer didn’t, nor would AT&T Broadband Gen. Counsel Rick Bailey, on later panel.
As part of proposed spectrum swap with public safety users, Nextel asked FCC to put rule changes in place in next 6 months, including assigning 10 MHz of mobile satellite spectrum to carrier. In White Paper submitted to FCC last week and made public Tues., Nextel cited critical spectrum needs that public safety community faced following Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Public safety community, in turn, offered support, contingent on funds’ being provided to cover all implementation costs that such licensees would face. Nextel has pledged to provide up to $500 million for equipment retuning and other transition expenses. “The Nextel proposal is a major step in the right direction,” said Nov. 21 letter to FCC Chmn. Powell from Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), International Assn. of Fire Chiefs, International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, others. Proposal would realign frequencies at 700, 800 and 900 MHz and 2.1 GHz and more than double public safety’s current allocation of 9.5 MHz of noncontiguous spectrum at 800 MHz (CD Nov 23 p1).
N.Y.C. Dept. of Information Technology & Telecommunications urged FCC to require that at least 2/3 of preprogrammed mobile handsets provided under priority access service (PAS) be allocated to city for use by authorized emergency workers. N.Y.C. outlined recommendations in comments on Verizon Wireless request to agency for waiver in implementing wireless PAS (CD Nov 23 p6). Verizon has said commercial, off-shelf technology that met FCC guidelines wasn’t available. National Communications System (NCS) said earlier this month that Verizon would be tasked to provide PAS capability for Washington, N.Y. and Salt Lake City on near-term basis. N.Y.C. stressed extent to which PAS solutions proposed by Verizon -- Emergency Services Capability (ESC) and Access Channel Persistence -- wouldn’t be able to service “all current or future” national security and emergency personnel (NSEP) with priority access. “NCS will face the novel challenge of determining how to provision authorized NSEP users. The result will be inability to access any radio channel, undermining the objectives of Verizon’s interim solutions,” Agostino Cangemi, gen. counsel for city department, said. He said initial Emergency Services Capability solution planned by Verizon contemplated one level of priority access, while proposed alternative would have 2 levels. City said its personnel typically were first responders in critical early hours of emergencies. “It is imperative that the FCC ensure that the city’s highest priority emergency communications users receive the benefit of any improved emergency response capabilities,” especially in light of waiver of FCC guidelines for PAS, Cangemi said. City wants FCC to grant waiver so NCS can be directed to consult closely with N.Y.C. and give “substantial deference” to its assessment of critical emergency response needs. City raised concerns that without protections of Part 64 rules governing PAS implementation, it wouldn’t have certainty that it would receive “modest” PAS capabilities under Verizon proposal. Cangemi said city also would like FCC’s newly created Homeland Security Policy Council to play “ongoing role” in overseeing waiver implementation. Specifically, city recommended NCS report to council at regular intervals during waiver period. City asked FCC to authorize council to revolve any disputes that “may arise regarding whether NCS is provisioning ESC and access channel persistence in accordance with the terms and conditions” of waiver order.
Group of House Appropriations Committee members from N.Y. say that proposed emergency supplemental funding in committee report on military spending measure fails to adequately address telecom and broadcast facilities damaged in terrorist attack on World Trade Center. Committee report (H.-Rpt. 107-298) for FY 2002 Dept. of Defense (DoD) spending bill (HR-3338) would provide additional funding for federal agencies and attack recovery efforts beyond what was approved in 2001 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 107- 38). However, N.Y. Reps. Hinchey (D), Lowey (D), Serrano (D) and Walsh (R) criticized committee’s “failure to include additional contingent emergency spending for the critical recovery efforts in New York City.” They said report contradicted recently enacted emergency funding law, which “explicitly states” that half of $40 billion fund must be devoted toward “disaster recovery activities” in N.Y. Va., Pa.
Task force of N.Y.C. real estate interests is developing technical specifications to guide rebuilding of telecom infrastructure damaged in lower Manhattan Sept. 11. John Gilbert, executive vp-COO, Rudin Management Co., who is helping coordinate task force efforts, said he expected business users would insist on certain minimum features for reconstructed telecom networks. He said Lower Manhattan building owners needed capabilities such as: (1) Two “distinct and diverse” entry points into buildings. (2) Additional broadband capacity from fixed wireless or free space optics technology affixed to rooftops. (3) Multiple carrier approach.
VoiceStream told FCC it planned to submit petition for “limited relief” of priority access service (PAS) rules so it voluntarily could offer priority services to national security and emergency personnel. Information came in comments VoiceStream submitted on Verizon Wireless waiver request to FCC for implementing wireless PAS, in which Verizon said commercial, off-the-shelf technology wasn’t available that met agency guidelines. National Communications System (NCS), which issued request for immediately available PAS capability for Washington, N.Y. and Salt Lake City, had indicated earlier this month that Verizon would be tasked to provide short-term capability. VoiceStream Vp-Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Brian O'Connor told us this week that carrier was surprised to read earlier this month that Verizon Wireless had received contract from NCS for initial PAS rollout. (Both Verizon and NCS later had softened their statements to indicate that Verizon had been chosen but final agreement was still in works.) VoiceStream understands that award to Verizon won’t be exclusive, O'Connor said. “We will also have our opportunity to pursue the government contracts,” he said, noting that when press first reported award to Verizon, carriers such as VoiceStream still were in discussions with contract manager DynCorp on parts of process such as obtaining FCC waivers and required govt. clearances, O'Connor said. VoiceStream said it supported ability of wireless carriers “to obtain expeditious waivers of the Commission’s requirements under the present circumstances to respond to urgent government needs.” It said it was “more important than ever at the present time to maintain the voluntary provisioning of priority access by CMRS operators that wish to provide such service to the government.” Carrier asked FCC not to take steps that would result in promulgation of “specific technical solutions and administrative requirements” with which all participating wireless carriers must comply. VoiceStream said it had provided proposals to NCS using GSM technology for Washington and N.Y. on both immediate basis, meaning within 60 days, and near term, meaning by end of next year. VoiceStream said after meeting with its vendors that it had determined it immediately could roll out “more full-featured priority access capability” than it had proposed originally. VoiceStream has system, Enhanced Multi-Level Precedence and Preemption (eMLPP), that provides lineups of priority calls “for the next available resource when radio or network resources are not available.” VoiceStream said it would offer that on subscription basis. Once subscriber has activated account, that offering won’t require carrier to do anything in case of emergency because service would be “always on.” Users that have handsets with those signaling capabilities will be able to select particular priority level on per-call basis. Handsets aren’t yet available commercially although VoiceStream said it expected them soon from Ericsson. Until then, callers can use precedence level stored in their SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card in particular phone.