Telecom Alert: 800 MHz Band Reconfiguration; 2.5 GHz Tribal Applications Accepted; Wireless Microphone Rule Revisions; Text-to-988 Rules Proposed [Vol. XVIII, Issue 15]
Concluding 800 MHz Band Reconfiguration
The FCC will consider an Order at its Open Meeting on April 22 that will conclude its 800 MHz re-banding program (Vol. XVI, Issue 40). The Commission initiated the re-banding program in 2004 to alleviate harmful interference to 800 MHz public safety radio systems caused by their proximity to commercial systems, principally those operated by Sprint. The effort has resulted in the successful reconfiguration of 2,169 licenses and only two licensees remain with unresolved administrative matters. For more information, please contact Greg Kunkle (kunkle@khlaw.com; 202.434.4178).
FCC Accepts Additional 2.5 GHz Tribal Applications
Last week, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing that an additional 50 applications have been accepted for filing as part of the Rural Tribal Priority window for licenses of unassigned spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band (Vol. XVIII, Issue 2). Successful tribal applicants will receive licenses for exclusive use of up to 117.5 megahertz of unassigned 2.5 GHz spectrum. An application that has been accepted for filing indicates it is complete and contains sufficient information for processing and further review, but not that all application requirements have been met. Petitions to deny the applications are due by May 10, 2021, and oppositions to a petition to deny are due by May 20, 2021. For more information, please contact Doug Jarrett (jarrett@khlaw.com; 202.434.4180) or Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239).
New Wireless Microphone Technology Prompts Rule Revisions
The FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that proposes to revise the technical rules for Part 74 low-power auxiliary station (LPAS) devices to permit a recently developed, and more efficient, type of wireless microphone system. The new technology, Wireless Multi-Channel Audio System (WMAS), operates with a wider bandwidth than the Commission’s rules currently allow and would enable more wireless microphones to operate in the spectrum available. It is not intended to alter the existing spectrum rights of other authorized users such as broadcast licensees and white space device users that share use of frequency bands with wireless microphone operations. For more information, please contact Greg Kunkle (kunkle@khlaw.com; 202.434.4178).
Text-to-988 Rules Proposed
The FCC released a draft Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that it will consider at its April Open Meeting proposing rules to increase the effectiveness of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Specifically, the Commission proposes requiring covered text providers to support text message to 988 by routing text messages sent to 988 to the Lifeline. It also seeks comment on the types of text messages that covered text providers must support and proposes adopting a uniform nationwide implementation deadline for all covered text providers. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (wright@khlaw.com; 202.434.4239).