EWA Advocates for 800 MHz General Category Classification in Support of Monsey Fire District

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) announced today that it has submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of the Monsey Fire District’s waiver request to add an 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Pool channel to its system. EWA urges the FCC to grant this application without further delay.

The Monsey Fire District’s application seeks authorization to license an 800 MHz SMR channel after an exhaustive frequency search confirmed no alternative public safety channels are available. The application is supported by a certification from the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, International (APCO) and EWA’s independent spectrum analysis, both verifying the necessity and availability of the requested channel.

This application could have been granted routinely nearly a year ago when it was first filed, had the Fire District not been required to request a waiver of Rule Section 90.617(d). The waiver was necessitated by outdated 800 MHz eligibility categorizations, which assign individual channels to “pools” based on the applicant’s activities.

In 2022, EWA filed a Petition for Rulemaking recommending that all 800 MHz channels between 809-816/854-861 MHz be reclassified as General Category and made available to any qualified applicant. The petition received support from enterprise entities and SMR operators but was opposed by public safety organizations over unfounded concerns regarding spectrum access. However, as demonstrated in this instance, public safety entities stand to benefit from such rule changes, both by reducing the time required to acquire spectrum and by avoiding the costs associated with preparing waiver requests. Adoption of these rule changes would have eliminated the need for the Fire District to demonstrate the lack of available public safety channels in the first place.

EWA President and CEO Robin J. Cohen stated, “The Monsey Fire District’s request is a clear example of how obsolete regulatory classifications can delay critical communications. The channel is available, the need is urgent, and the process should not be hindered by outdated eligibility rules.”