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“This action will serve to stabilize the spectral environment while the Commission considers issues surrounding future use of the T-Band.”  This was the statement in the FCC’s announcement that it was imposing a limited suspension of the acceptance and processing of certain applications for Part 22 and 90 systems operating in the 470-512 MHz band. In fact, the FCC used the term stabilize the spectral landscape or stabilize the spectral environment no fewer than four times in its Public Notice.

For a while there, there just didn’t seem to be a lot of wireless regulatory news to report. Things have changed.  Last week the President signed into law the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.”  This is big news for the public safety industry as it culminates an impressive effort on their part to repurpose 10 MHz of 700 MHz commercial spectrum, known as the D-Block, for their use in constructing a national public safety interoperable broadband network.   The Act also provides over  $7 billion to fund the deployment and operation of the network.  Of course, there had to be a price tag, a spectrum quid pro quo, strings attached if 10 MHz of spectrum and $7 billion are to be handed to public safety.

I suspect that many folks this time of year have wish lists.  I do.  Wouldn’t it be nice if the FCC lifted the 900 MHz new Industrial/Business system licensing freeze that hasn’t been necessary for over two years now. As a result of the continued freeze, use of this valuable spectrum resource is lost and big time companies like UPS and John Hopkins Medical Center are forced to secure STAs over and over and over to operate 900 MHz systems that support critical enterprise operations and the American public.  Sprint doesn’t need this spectrum for rebanding green space, white space or even purple space anymore. Heck, there are geographic locations where rebanding is complete, kaput, done. Yet the freeze remains.

EWA had no choice but to file a Second TETRA Clarification Request with the Commission on October 26th as the agency just seems to keep missing critical information in its Orders and, at least in EWA’s view, has provided inconsistent statements on how applicants may best license this technology.  Unfortunately, one of the unintended consequences of EWA pursuing licensing clarity appears to have been raising the ire of the TETRA Association, which is evidently the or

The FCC released a News Release earlier today announcing the 45-day public testing of the “First Television White Spaces Database.”  This is important news as one of the more critical requirements that must be accommodated before white space devices are certified to roam free within TV and land mobile spectrum is that they know to recognize the “do not enter” signs where incumbent TV, legal wireless microphone and land mobile operations are ongoing.