It is always wise only ask those questions where you have a good idea what the answer will be. In the case of asking for FCC clarification regarding to what extent frequency advisory committees are to consider non-compliant wideband licenses in the 150-470 MHz band during spectrum analyses, perhaps we should have left well enough alone. I was expecting a sentence or two in response maybe along the lines of “you are free to ignore licenses that have not amended their authorizations to comply with the narrowbanding order more than three years after the deadline” or, “you must consider these poor folks who couldn’t seemingly muster the energy to update their licenses after years of multiple warnings, pleas and failing those efforts, warnings of forfeitures or worse, admonishments.” 

What the industry received was a six-page Public Notice that near the end of the release encouraged “frequency coordinators to contact apparent wideband-only licensees in order to determine whether the incumbent is an affected licensee” for purpose of exclusive use channel research. So EWA will now, as ordered, follow these FCC instructions. But what remains unclear is what we are supposed to do when the wideband licensee doesn’t choose to talk with us as recommended by the FCC, doesn’t exist anymore or, perhaps suggests that we go play in traffic. Oh, the “Bureaus intend to notify by email all PLMR licensees in the 150-174 MHz and 421-470 MHz bands with wideband emission designators who have provided an email address in the Universal Licensing System to urge them to update their license information to reflect compliance with the narrowbanding requirement.” Maybe now that will work.