Several items on Friday’s FCC meeting agenda are of interest to the telecom industry. First up, is a spectrum horizons item. The Commission will vote on a First Report and Order to make available 21.2 GHz of spectrum above 95 GHz for unlicensed operations and create a new class of experimental licenses for the 95 GHz to 3 THz spectrum range.
Airwaves above 95 GHz have long been considered at or beyond the outermost edge of usable spectrum. However the FCC has seen more interest in conducting experiments using this spectrum and including these frequencies in rulemaking petitions. There is no mechanism now for licensing this spectrum, other than by amateur operators or on an experimental basis.
The 900 MHz Band (896-901/935-940 MHz) is currently designated for narrowband private land mobile radio communications, with deployed systems used primarily for two-way communication by land transportation, utility, manufacturing, and petrochemical companies. The agency sought ways to expand the use of the band.
The Commission plans to vote on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to reconfigure the 900 MHz band. It would create a broadband segment to facilitate technologies and services for a variety of businesses, including critical infrastructure. The agency will also seek comment on various transition mechanisms.
Also up for a vote, is an additional metric to wireless E911 location accuracy requirements, more steps to ensure rural call completion, and a mechanism to ensure FMs, LPTVs and multichannel video program distributors are reimbursed for costs related to the television spectrum channel repack. The item also includes money to educate consumers about the television channel transition. Comments? Email Us.
March 12, 2019
Reader Interactions