Mark Crosby, EWA Chief Strategy Officer
Unleashed and unvarnished, Mark provides his unique commentary on important telecom policy issues of the day.
September 17, 2025
I am at a loss to understand why APCO would want to duplicate Federal Licensing’s notorious strategy of contacting licensees and warning them of dire consequences should they fail to confirm with the FCC that their new radio system is constructed and operational. “We (APCO) are notifying you because failure to meet this requirement may result...
September 3, 2025
The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (NYMTA), let’s just agree, has some rather critical responsibilities serving the daily subway transportation needs of the millions of citizens of New York City and adjacent areas, plus visitors to the city. They have invested billions of dollars during a multi-year project to deploy new technologies in...
May 15, 2025
As we have advocated, consolidating 800 MHz spectrum into one general category pool is sound spectrum management, benefits applicants, and saves the FCC from wasting its time on slam-dunk licensing outcomes.
March 12, 2025
The private land mobile industry just loves solicitations from Federal Licensing, Inc. Their latest effort cluttering your mailbox concerns email addresses. To be clear, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not have an “Administrative Update Division,” despite Federal Licensing’s almost laughable effort to induce you to think they do....
August 29, 2024
It was reported earlier this week by a member of the press that the FCC will be handing FirstNet and AT&T the 50 MHz of spectrum at 4.9 GHz, and while they are at it, they also plan to appoint APCO as the band manager. Only APCO? What happened to IMSA, FCCA and AASHTO? Of course nothing is over until the fat lady sings, but I am asking myself...
February 22, 2024
This is it! These are the 4.9 GHz comments that will tip the scales in PSSA/FirstNet’s favor at the FCC. A Bert Norton recently advised the FCC that he supports “the position and comments of the Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA). The 4.9 GHz spectrum should remain solely for the use of public safety. I am opposed to sharing this spectrum with...
February 12, 2024
Before you sign a letter written for you, it’s a good idea to carefully review the contents so you don’t appear naïve. The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Association recent letter to the FCC suggested that the 4.9 GHz band “should be allocated to the FirstNet Authority so that it may be available for use within the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network...
December 18, 2023
“This notification is to inform you that, in light of the outpouring of requests received from current and former customers (thank you!), WIA has decided that we will not be shutting down our Frequency Coordination Services on December 29, 2023, as previously announced.” We could have fun attempting to decipher the rationale for WIA’s u-turn on...
December 5, 2023
So, it’s the end of the year, a time to assess where we are with our advocacy efforts. We have been busy for sure, but busy hasn’t generated many results in 2023. Without providing too many details, we are awaiting FCC action in response to several EWA petitions that will promote spectrum efficiency while eliminating unnecessary, 30-plus year old...
September 29, 2023
An EWA member recently forwarded to my attention a solicitation from a public safety association promoting the benefits of its spectrum management arm which is providing Part 90 public safety licensing, renewal assistance and construction FCC notification services. Why not, and it was clear that the solicitation was directed towards public safety...