The FCC’s handed down new mandates for carriers to prepare for emergencies, including requirements that larger carriers install backup power for critical facilities and file reports on the resilience of their 911 systems, in approving an order Thurs. following through on parts of last year’s Hurricane Katrina Panel report. The order extends by a year provisions exempting the Bells from a ban on sharing some information with their affiliates, to speed their disaster planning. The order also instructs the Public Safety Bureau to establish a clearinghouse to provide information to industry on best practices for preparing for disaster.
The FCC resolved a number of issues on 800 MHz rebanding in a cleanup order handed down Wed., but declined to address the main remaining issue - a Sprint request to extend the 18-month rebanding benchmark. The order instead addresses rebanding of enhanced specialized mobile radio (ESMR) licensees, assorted international issues and matters raised in pending petitions for reconsideration or clarification.
Democrats are scrutinizing who’s chosen to attend a July CITEL meeting in Miami, sources said. It’s seen as a test of whether the Bush Administration will close the WRC delegation to those donating to Democrats. The Administration has been accused of using political litmus tests for what others see as nonpolitical international conferences (CD Nov 20 p1). “I know people who are concerned about it,” said a lawyer who has been a delegate: “There will be a test coming up soon. The [CITEL] delegation will probably be formed soon after the 4th of July, and you'll know then whether people are cut.” In an interview last week, Richard Russell, U.S. ambassador to the WRC, said there would be no political test. “What we're looking for is expertise, an ability to support and forcefully articulate the U.S. position internationally,” he said. The U.S. will probably choose delegates earlier than usual, Russell said (CD May 30 p4): “You want the right people there and you want enough people to cover all the issues and get everything you need done, and you want no more.”
Establishing 700 MHz as the key new band for advanced wireless services will be a top priority the U.S. at the 2007 WRC, U.S. WRC Ambassador Richard Russell said during a wide- ranging interview. Russell, who formally became ambassador this month, said preparations are well under way for the quadrennial conference.
Sprint Nextel fired back at AT&T Thurs. over complaints about the pace of the 800 MHz transition. The FCC should spurn AT&T calls to subject Sprint to sanctions if it doesn’t meet various reconfiguration benchmarks, Sprint said.
Broadcasters stepped up their attack on the XM-Sirius merger, questioning the fundamental arguments that the satellite radio companies are making on why their market isn’t unique and shouldn’t be analyzed on its own as DoJ evaluates their merger application. Meanwhile, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin told shareholders Thurs. that this week’s XM service disruption (CD May 22 p14) could create an argument for the proposed $11 billion merger, because it shows redundancy is needed.
PHILADELPHIA -- Three judges of the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia seemed to open the door to nullifying revised FCC rules on unjust enrichment. They heard arguments in a case pitting designated entities (DEs) led by Council Tree against the FCC. But the judges also seemed reluctant to overturn 2006’s advanced wireless services auction.
A $27.5 billion TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners buy of Alltel likely will be embraced by the Justice Dept. and FCC, especially since it creates a strong independent carrier positioned to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless, lawyers and analysts said Mon. The acquisition is the largest leveraged buyout (LBO) in the U.S. telecom industry. The companies hope to finalize the deal by Q1 2008.
The FCC expects Sprint Nextel to spend as reasonably needed in its study of whether to pay 800 MHz rebanding costs sought by public safety agencies, the agency said Fri. in response to complaints by public safety officials. The 5 commissioners also issued a rare joint statement saying they expect rebanding to be done promptly. The order and statement came as the FCC bears down on the ongoing 800 MHz rebanding, designed to keep Sprint Nextel calls from interfering with public safety communications.
The FCC should adopt multi-tiered standards for what it deems broadband and consider varying standards for different technologies, CTIA said in comments. The group was weighing in on an FCC inquiry’s questions on how to define broadband in a changing marketplace and on how to speed deployment. CTIA stressed that wireless may not offer the same speeds as wireline but is still broadband and should be so classified. The FCC issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) last month, asking for comments to help it write the 5th Sec. 706 report to Congress on broadband deployment, as required by the Telecom Act (CD April 17 p1).