Telecom Alert: 3.65 GHz Transition Deadline Extended; Wireless Carriers Granted STA's; PA, WV Assert Jurisdiction Over Pole Attachments; KH Webinar; KH Insurance Coverage [Vol. XVII, Issue 12]
FCC Grants Extension of Transition Deadline for Certain 3.65 GHz Licensees
Last week, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released an Order extending the deadline for certain licensees in the 3650-3700 MHz band (3.65 GHz band) to transition their existing Part 90 operations to the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). All licensees that would otherwise have had to transition operations between April 17, 2020 and October 17, 2020 now have until October 17, 2020. The Bureau issued the extension in light of the COVID-19 pandemic to give licensees more time to transition, and not in response to the numerous petitions that have been filed seeking blanket and individual extension requests. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239).
FCC Grants STA’s to Wireless Carriers for Additional Spectrum
The FCC announced last week that it granted Verizon’s request for Special Temporary Authority (STA) to use additional spectrum to help meet increased customer demand for broadband during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will allow Verizon to operate for sixty days in spectrum licensed to Northstar Wireless LLC and SNR Wireless License Co. in the AWS-3 Band to provide additional capacity to Verizon customers. The FCC granted similar requests by T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular in recent days. For more information, please contact Doug Jarrett (jarrett@khlaw.com; 202.434.4180).
Pennsylvania and West Virginia Assert Jurisdiction Over Pole Attachments
Last week the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission certified to the FCC that it regulates the rates, terms, and conditions for pole attachments, making it the twenty-second state (including the District of Columbia) to replace FCC jurisdiction over attachments to investor-owned utility poles. Just last month, West Virginia became the twenty-first state to file its certification with the FCC over pole attachments. For more information, please contact Tom Magee (magee@khlaw.com; 202.434.4128) or Tim Doughty (doughty@khlaw.com; 202.434.4271).
KH CBRS Webinar
KH will host a complimentary 30-minute conference call on Tuesday, March 24 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern to address commonly asked questions regarding the upcoming FCC CBRS Priority Access License (“PAL”) auction, scheduled to commence on June 25. KH attorneys Greg Kunkle and Wes Wright will discuss the short-form application (which is due April 9), the bidding process, and other auction details.
Insurance Coverage for Coronavirus
The number one question a business wants to know is "do we have coverage for losses due to COVID-19?" Keller and Heckman’s Insurance Coverage practice is available to help businesses navigate their insurance policies in the wake of COVID-19. While coverage for losses due to COVID-19 depends on the company’s policies and claims being brought forth, KH attorneys can offer guidance for a variety of claims including business interruption, bodily injury, and event cancellation. For more information, please contact Arthur S. Garrett III (garrett@khlaw.com; 202.434.4248).
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Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert is a complimentary weekly electronic update created by the Telecommunications Practice Group of Keller and Heckman LLP. All articles, videos, and quotations are on topics of general interest and do not constitute legal advice for particularized facts. Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert © 2020. All rights reserved. Articles may be copied with attribution. To sign up for our weekly alert, please send us an email at telecomalert@khlaw.com and provide us with your name and email. Please follow us on Twitter at @KHtelecom.