Parties have weighed in on a notice of proposed rulemaking released by the FCC in March (TRDaily, March 8) concerning rules to protect against harmful interference in the 700 megahertz band public safety spectrum, including by urging the Commission to lift a freeze on equipment certification and supporting the consolidation of technical service rules for the nationwide public safety broadband network under the agency’s part 90 regulations. Several entities also said that the relocation costs of public safety narrowband incumbents in the broadband spectrum should be covered.
In the NPRM, adopted in PS dockets 12-94 and 06-229 and WT docket 06-150, the FCC sought comments on technical rules it should adopt for the public safety broadband network that the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) has been charged with overseeing. For example, it solicited views on power limits, emission limits, field strength limits, interference coordination, international considerations, the guard band, and equipment certification.