EWA Questions Continued Viability of Sprint-Vacated Reservations

Yesterday, the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) filed comments supporting a waiver request from American Electric Power (AEP) to use 800 MHz Sprint-vacated frequencies that normally would not be available to Critical Infrastructure Industry (CII) entities until after February 10, 2018. AEP noted in its waiver request that no public safety entity has applied for the Sprint-vacated spectrum in the required coverage area. EWA, which had coordinated the application originally, took the opportunity in its comments to suggest that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revisit the 10-year-old policy where Sprint-vacated spectrum is first made available for use by public safety and CII applicants for three and five years respectively. In its comments, EWA questioned whether the use record justified retaining these preferences in the future. 

Specifically, EWA suggested that it may be time for the FCC to examine the extent to which public safety entities have taken advantage of their three-year exclusive right to Sprint-vacated spectrum, and whether this reservation remains justified in light of technology advances, the need for spectrum efficiencies, and the spectrum shortages that exist for other deserving classes of private land mobile licensees. EWA suggested that if FCC records reflect that much of this spectrum remains unclaimed by eligible entities in significant parts of the country, the FCC should reconsider whether these lengthy reservations continue to serve the public interest.