We have recently observed that less than 10% of the Industrial/Business applications filed at the FCC since the beginning of the year for new wireless systems have been granted. Further, apparently not a single application that would modify an existing Industrial/Business license has been granted since January 1st. This is a bit extraordinary, and...
I know that it has been reported the folks at FM Approvals are now willing to delay implementation of the effective date of the new intrinsically safe (IS) standard, but why do I sense that all they have really provided is the proverbial sleeves off their vest? Ok, so existing equipment may be sold for years. Big deal. Current IS equipment would...
Every now and then, it seems that a strange item just dives out of the sun and catches you off guard. Well, at least changes to what will qualify in the very near future as an intrinsically safe portable radio recently caught me off guard. It seems the folks that have some influence on these matters issued an edict that the standards governing...
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...
The FCC’s Office of Engineering Technology recently announced that the testing of the first TV White Spaces database demonstrated that the database “worked.” Ok, a couple definitions of “worked” include that a certain activity performed a function as intended or operated as expected. In this case, we suspect that the FCC’s pronouncement presumably...
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...
There has been a lot of industry concern expressed by those that have been working diligently to comply with the FCC’s narrowbanding mandate, both service providers and licensees alike, about Congressman Rothman’s (D-NJ) bill (H.R.3430) that proposes to extend the narrowbanding mandate by two years. Does this have any chance? Are you kidding me?...
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...
I read in the FCC’s releases earlier this week that Shelby County, Alabama was granted waivers, in one respect a partial waiver, to operate a VHF trunked system that will use both public safety and Industrial/Business frequencies. Good for them. The details may be reviewed in the Commission’s Order, but know that EWA had weighed in previously in...
For a while there, there just didn’t seem to be a lot of wireless regulatory news to report.