900-MHz Applications — Let’s Make a Decision

(Herndon, VA) — The Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) has filed a letter urging the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to act quickly on a Petition for Orders to Show Cause filed in June of 2015 by Spectrum Networks Group (SNG). In its Petition, SNG asked the FCC why the 900-MHz licenses of nineteen (19) licensees should not be revoked. Some, but not all of the applications for those licenses were coordinated by EWA. Subsequently, EWA was advised by certain members, whose licenses were the subject of the Petition, that they received inquiries from the FCC regarding SNG’s allegations, and that they responded by the FCC-specified deadline.

Since EWA’s members have received no further communications from the FCC regarding the disposition of their 900 MHz applications, last week EWA urged the FCC to act quickly in this matter on behalf of these applicants, most of whom are small businesses unaccustomed to continued regulatory uncertainty. In addition, EWA urged the FCC to permit assignment of the call sign WNJL371, which is named in the Petition and has been awaiting action since November of 2015. In its letter to the Commission, EWA noted that whatever decision the FCC makes in this proceeding will carry with the license; therefore, a non-material license assignment would not affect whatever action the FCC takes with regard to this authorization, a legal reality that could be made explicit by including a condition to that effect on the assigned license.

EWA recognized in its request that some of the factual situations are complex and may require substantial time to resolve, but others are not particularly complicated such that the FCC should be able to reach a decision in a year or perhaps even less.