The Senate Commerce Committee may hammer together a spectrum legislation package “probably end of the year, early next year, I’d say,” Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told us Tuesday. “There is” talk of specific spectrum bands to legislatively target for auction, Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, confirmed in an interview, declining to give numbers.
Getting the rules right on when operations start after a wireless company buys a license in the TV incentive auction is critical, CTIA said in meetings on the eighth floor at the FCC. The wireless association recommended that the FCC find that operations “commence” when the licensee begins either market or site commissioning tests, which CTIA said is a compromise proposal. Under that definition “low-power television and unlicensed users of the UHF band will be able to remain in operation in the 600 MHz band even after it is reallocated and licensed to others, while 600 MHz licensees will gain access to their licensed spectrum as necessary to ‘commence service,’ including the pre-requisite market and commissioning testing steps that must precede a commercial launch,” CTIA said. Secondary users could continue to “utilize the mobile wireless band in the vast majority of areas beyond the market testing stage, until pre-commercial launch testing necessitates the use of the mobile wireless band for mobile wireless service.” CTIA officials met with staff from the offices of commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel, Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly, CTIA said in a filing posted in docket 12-268.
LAS VEGAS -- FCC commissioners expressed sharp disagreement last week on an expected NPRM on broadband providers’ privacy obligations under new net neutrality rules (see 1509090061). Similar to the February vote on the order itself, Chairman Tom Wheeler appears to have the support of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on the NPRM, with Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Ajit Pai in opposition. FCC officials say the NPRM is likely to circulate for the agency’s October or November meeting.
LAS VEGAS -- FCC commissioners expressed sharp disagreement last week on an expected NPRM on broadband providers’ privacy obligations under new net neutrality rules (see 1509090061). Similar to the February vote on the order itself, Chairman Tom Wheeler appears to have the support of Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on the NPRM, with Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Ajit Pai in opposition. FCC officials say the NPRM is likely to circulate for the agency’s October or November meeting.
The FCC proposed that railroad police be given access to various channels, including in TV spectrum, so they can communicate with other public safety officials. In a May 2014 petition, the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) asked the FCC to make railroad police eligible to use the interoperability channels.
The FCC kicked off its annual inquiry into whether broadband is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion to all Americans, pursuant to Section 706 of the Telecom Act. The notice of inquiry approved by commissioners Thursday contemplates retaining the agency's 25/3 Mbps broadband definition for terrestrial fixed services while seeking comment on whether the commission should include terrestrial mobile and satellite fixed services in its broadband assessment, FCC officials and a release said.
The FCC kicked off its annual inquiry into whether broadband is being deployed in a reasonable and timely fashion to all Americans, pursuant to Section 706 of the Telecom Act. The notice of inquiry approved by commissioners Thursday contemplates retaining the agency's 25/3 Mbps broadband definition for terrestrial fixed services while seeking comment on whether the commission should include terrestrial mobile and satellite fixed services in its broadband assessment, FCC officials and a release said.
The Senate Commerce Committee will investigate ways to obtain more spectrum, at its Wednesday hearing on the topic, its chairman told us. “We’re obviously interested in freeing up as much spectrum as we possibly can,” Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said in an interview Tuesday. “Every issue that we deal with in front of the committee or for that matter, for any of the committees I serve on, kind of comes back to the need for more spectrum.”
The Senate Commerce Committee will investigate ways to obtain more spectrum, at its Wednesday hearing on the topic, its chairman told us. “We’re obviously interested in freeing up as much spectrum as we possibly can,” Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said in an interview Tuesday. “Every issue that we deal with in front of the committee or for that matter, for any of the committees I serve on, kind of comes back to the need for more spectrum.”
The FCC sought comment on proposed changes to rules for its evaluation and approval of radiofrequency devices, in a Tuesday NPRM approved by the full commission. Comment deadlines will be released in an upcoming Federal Register notice.