The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau sought comment today on Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend LLC’s request for a waiver to license UHF public safety channels in Minnesota. Comments are due March 16 and replies April 2 in File 0008061316.
FCC
LMCC Seeks FCC Meeting on Non-Rule-Compliant Devices
The Land Mobile Communications Council has asked for a meeting with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau “for the purpose of identifying public relations, educational, enforcement and other potential activities that will serve to address the wide-spread use of non-rule compliant wireless devices, whose access, illegal use and distribution has reached epidemic proportions.”
In a letter yesterday to Rosemary Harold, chief of the Enforcement Bureau, LMCC said it suspects “that the Enforcement Bureau is fully aware of this problem which has affected both Public Safety and Business/Industrial wireless sectors. Devices produced in Asia by multiple manufacturers are often sold through the internet, including Amazon, as well as from retail outlets. The accompanying materials note, at most, that the devices have received FCC type-acceptance for use under Part 15 of the rules for amateur operations. In fact, the devices are marketed for use by any entity, for any purpose, complete with programming instructions for operation on any channel from 136-174 MHz and 400-520 MHz without regard or critical information relating to Federal and non-Federal spectrum allocations, user eligibility or licensing requirements. Continue reading
Fowlkes: 911 Fee Diversions Remain ‘Drag on Progress’
The diversion by states of 911 fees and surcharges for other purposes remains “a drag on progress,” Lisa Fowlkes, chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, said in remarks today at the National Emergency Number Association’s 911 Goes to Washington event. In a report released last week, the FCC said that six states diverted 911 funds for other purposes in 2016 (TR Daily, Feb. 7). The total amount diverted by reporting jurisdictions was $128.9 million, or about 5% of the total collected in 911/enhanced 911 (E911) fees that year, the report said.
The states identified in the report as diverting 911 fees for other purposes were New Jersey, West Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and New York. New York was the only one of the six states that did not submit a report to the FCC. But the Commission said that “sufficient public record information exists to support a finding that New York diverted funds for non-public safety uses.” Continue reading
FCC Daily Digest, February 12, 2018
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE SERVICE RULES GOVERNING PUBLIC SAFETY NARROWBAND OPERATIONS IN THE 769-775/799-805 MHZ BANDS. The Commission amends and clarifies 700 MHz narrowband interoperability and technical rules. (Dkt No. RM-11433 13-87 06-229 RM-11577 96-86 ). Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 02/08/2018 by R&O. (FCC No. 18-11).
PSHSB https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-18-11A1.docx
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-18-11A1.pdf
FCC: Six States Diverted 911 Funds for Other Purposes in 2016
Six states diverted 911 funds for other purposes in 2016, according to an annual report released by the FCC today. The total amount diverted by reporting jurisdictions was $128.9 million, or about 5% of the total collected in 911/enhanced 911 (E911) fees, the report said. The report, the ninth annual document to Congress on fee diversions, said that the following states diverted 911 fees for other purposes: New Jersey, West Virginia, Illinois, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and New York. The report covered the calendar year 2016.
New York was the only one of the six states that did not submit a report to the FCC for the report the agency released today (46 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands responded to the FCC’s data request). But the Commission said that “sufficient public record information exists to support a finding that New York diverted funds for non-public safety uses.” Continue reading
Andy Seybold’s Public Safety Advocate, February 1, 2018
Rural Broadband, the Headless Horseman!
Why the Headless Horseman? The more complex issues are outlined below, but the simple answer is that there has never been more interest in extending broadband into rural America than there is today with so little being accomplished on the ground. What is being accomplished is happening in small areas where there is a combination of local leadership and planning. Everyone wants to help but there is no coordination among the numerous efforts underway.
It does not make sense with all the efforts aimed at solving the digital divide and digital poverty broadband issue that the pace is so slow and only in sporadic areas. In the past two years, Congress has introduced twenty-five different bills in the House of Representatives, all of which attempt to address the rural broadband issue. In the Senate, to date, only one bill has been introduced. The FCC has made rural broadband a priority and has funding available, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Farm Bureau, and others have grants and loans available for rural broadband and some in Congress are asking the President to put rural broadband on the list of infrastructure funding requests that will be coming up soon.
Most recently, the FCC has decided that wireless broadband does not “count” as true broadband but it still defines broadband speeds of 25 Mbps down and only 3 Mbps up. These speeds are consistent with wireless broadband networks and cable Internet over which data speeds in the downward direction are faster than data speeds from the device back to the network. However, the model for fiber deployment is that the customer receives the same data speeds in both directions, so wireless is not “broadband” according to the FCC. It is not clear why the FCC is maintaining that wireless is not “broadband” while the data speeds quoted are more in line with wireless than fiber deployments.
Read the Entire Post Here Continue reading
TAC Spectrum Recommendations Draw Measured Support
While suggesting various tweaks and expressing some concerns, numerous companies and groups have generally offered supportive comments regarding spectrum policy recommendations made by the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council. In a December public notice seeking comments, the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology observed that “the TAC has recommended that the Commission adopt a policy statement, setting forth spectrum management guidance and principles based on TAC recommendations made to the FCC, including the following: [1] Implement and formalize the TAC’s recommendations for Basic Spectrum Principles as policies, and set clear expectations about the affected system’s capabilities regarding interference, such as harm claim thresholds. [2] Adopt risk-informed interference assessment and statistical service rules more widely. [3] Implement steps for improving interference resolution, including a next-generation architecture for radio spectrum interference resolution, creating a public database of past radio-related enforcement activities, and incorporate interference hunters in the resolution process” (TR Daily, Dec. 1, 2017). Continue reading
FirstNet Defends Revised NEPA Procedures
The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) today defended its final revised procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in response to criticism from the Interior Department. The procedures, which took effect today, modify previously established categorical exclusions (CEs) and extraordinary circumstances. FirstNet released its original NEPA implementation procedures in 2014 (TR Daily, April 29, 2014). Last year, it sought comment on proposed revisions to its procedures (TR Daily, June 23, 2017).
“As it has continued to mature as an organization, FirstNet, as mentioned above, has identified the need to modify its NEPA implementing procedures, CEs, and related extraordinary procedures to better align with FirstNet’s statutory mission and activities related to the deployment of the NPSBN, as well as better assist FirstNet in complying with NEPA and FCC regulations,” FirstNet said in last year’s notice. “More specifically, FirstNet, as both an independent federal authority and a licensee of the FCC, must satisfy its own NEPA requirements as well as comply with FCC-promulgated NEPA procedures. Under CEQ [Council on Environmental Quality] regulations, federal agencies with overlapping NEPA requirements related to the same project are encouraged to streamline their NEPA implementing procedures to avoid duplicative NEPA review. Accordingly, FirstNet is proposing to modify its NEPA procedures and CEs to better align with FCC procedures in order to avoid duplicative NEPA reviews that would otherwise likely result in unnecessary costs to and delays in the deployment of the NPSBN. Continue reading
Public Safety Entities Pleased with Changes to WEA Item
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International and Harris County, Texas said today that they are pleased with changes the FCC made to a wireless emergency alert (WEA) item before it was adopted yesterday (TR Daily, Jan. 30). “Upon reviewing the text of the Order, APCO is pleased to see that the Commission incorporated many of the recommendations made by the public safety stakeholders in this proceeding,” said APCO Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Derek Poarch.
“Public safety officials in Harris County are pleased that the FCC has ruled in favor of the geographic targeting enhancements and the adjustments that developed through the process. We look forward to working with wireless carriers and technology experts to implement the new rules in a timely manner,” said Francisco Sanchez, deputy emergency management coordinator at the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management.
APCO, Harris County, and other public safety entities had asked the FCC to clarify the new rules to, among others things, make it harder for participating WEA carriers to avoid implementing the more precise geo-targeting requirement. Continue reading
FCC’s Daily Digest: FCC Bolsters Effectiveness of Wireless Emergency Alerts through Improving Geographic Targeting of Alerts
Summary News Release: FCC BOLSTERS EFFECTIVENESS OF WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS ACTION WILL IMPROVE GEOGRAPHIC TARGETING OF ALERTS. News Release. (Dkt No 15-94 15-91 ). Adopted: 01/30/2018. News Media Contact: Rochelle Cohen at (202) 418-1162, email: Rochelle.Cohen@fcc.gov PSHSB
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-348932A1.pdf
Full Text of FCC Decision: WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS; AMENDMENTS TO PART 11 OF THE COMMISSION’S RULES REGARDING THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. The FCC adopted rules to enhance the effectiveness of Wireless Emergency Alerts, including improving geographic targeting. (Dkt No. 15-94 15-91 ). Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 01/30/2018 by R&O. (FCC No. 18-4). PSHSB
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-18-4A1.pdf