Intel and Clearwire announced Mon. at CTIA’s fall conference a partnership to develop a WiMax network, using the spectrum Clearwire has been quietly acquiring around the U.S. The announcement marks one of the potential highwater marks so far for WiMax, which some experts believe will quickly supplant the many Wi-Fi hotspots that have sprung up over the last few years.
CTIA weighed in on the pending FCC air-to-ground (ATG) order, advising caution to protect incumbents in adjacent bands as it reforms the rules for the 849- 851/894-896 MHz bands, and asking for FCC testing. The CTIA filing adds another significant voice asking the FCC to proceed cautiously on ATG. Meanwhile, Nextel highlighted its interference concerns with considerably more detail in a filing on the item.
AT&T Wireless and Cingular each had some negative numbers to report Wed. on the eve of the likely completion of their merger. The FCC and Justice Dept. have yet to finalize their merger orders, though by some accounts they may be only days away. As of Wed. afternoon, the FCC’s 2 Democrats, Comrs. Copps and Adelstein, still hadn’t voted electronically on the order.
The FCC is likely only days away from a public notice (PN) seeking comments from the industry on issues that have been raised by Nextel as part of the 800 MHz rebanding order. The wireless advisors received the PN Tues. afternoon. A Commission source said release was “imminent.”
A principal player in air-to-ground (ATG) communications, Boeing, is asking the FCC to delay its order on the technology for a month, which would push it off the Nov. Commission agenda, sources said Tues. Nextel also has been asking the FCC to move slowly on the order and AirCell is considering asking for a delay. The Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials asked for a delay last week (CD Oct 14 p6).
A rumored deal that would give Verizon Wireless another 20 MHz of NextWave spectrum in N.Y. for as much as $3 billion likely wouldn’t face many regulatory hurdles, sources said Fri. Experts said the deal may be easier to complete in the immediate aftermath of the Cingular-AT&T Wireless merger.
AirCell and Boeing told the FCC they had adopted a joint approach on air-to-ground (ATG) communications, we learned Thurs. The companies revealed their agreement in a closed-door presentation late Wed. to staff of the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering & Technology. The FCC had suggested strongly that the companies -- which favor allowing carriers to share ATG spectrum -- work together. With the proposal, AirCell and Boeing stand in direct conflict with Verizon’s AirFone, which favors the awarding of 2 exclusive licenses at most.
Chmn. Powell said Thurs. he hasn’t decided whether the Commission should take steps on its own to clear the 1.7 GHz spectrum occupied by the Dept. of Defense if Congress fails to pass the spectrum relocation trust fund bill (HR-1320). The comments came after the Commission approved 5-0 a “clean up” order that addresses some of the remaining parts of clearing the spectrum, which ultimately is to be auctioned for advanced wireless services (AWS).
The Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials urged the FCC to delay any order on air-to-ground (ATG) communications until interference issues potentially affecting public safety are resolved. The filing made late Tues. is expected carry weight at the FCC because of the interest in protecting public safety. An ATG order is otherwise expected to get a vote at the Nov. agenda meeting.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) called on Chmn. Powell to recuse himself from voting today (Thurs.) on the FCC’s broadband over powerline order. The group said Powell violated sunshine rules by participating in a BPL event Tues. in Manassas, Va. (CD Oct 13 p10). But an official in the chairman’s office said ARRL was misreading the rules and that Powell did nothing wrong.