Smartcomm principals take action regarding a Public Notice released by the Federal Communications Commission?s (?FCC?) Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, on June 30, 2011. The Notice states that Sprint Nextel Corporation (?Sprint? or ?Sprint Nextel?) requests a Declaratory Ruling insisting that the FCC revise Section 90.209 of its Rules, to authorize greater than 25 kHz bandwidth operations in the 800 MHz ESMR band. Sprint further requests that its filing be treated as a Petition for Rulemaking.
Smartcomm, LLC, License Acquisitions, LLC, Caribe Spectrum Holdings, Inc., Preferred Spectrum Investments, LLC, and Concepts To Operations, Inc. ?members of the 800 MHz Mobile Broadband Coalition? file comments supporting Sprint?s proposal. Additionally, the Coalition asks that the FCC commence a rulemaking proceeding to look beyond the ESMR Block and repurpose the 800 MHz Private Land Mobile Radio Band (?PLMRB?) from its current prescribed narrow channel bandwidth, to a flexible use and market based approach. This simply means that the additional 36 MHz spectrum in the PLMRB would be utilized to provide additional spectrum capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand for high bandwidth intensive mobile data and video. Some of the benefits, among other things, of repurposing the entire 800 MHz PLMRB instead of only the ESMR Block, would be the ability of commercial, private and Public Safety licensees to adopt LTE technology. This type of technology would drive the rapid deployment of one or more mobile broadband networks across the nation, allowing for much needed competition.
Smartcomm, LLC and other Mobile Broadband Coalition members are not the only ones to comment in support of Sprint?s request for Declaratory Ruling. AT&T comments that a Rulemaking proceeding is necessary since Sprint is seeking a revision of section 90.209?s requirements with respect to authorized channel widths. AT&T further supports taking action to make additional spectrum available and usable for commercial mobile services, as long as the impact on existing spectrum users is carefully analyzed and found to cause no harmful interference to primary services.
Motorola Solutions, Inc. (?MSI?) files comments agreeing with Sprint Nextel?s request that the Commission treat its Petition for Declaratory Ruling as a Petition for Rulemaking. MSI urges the FCC to proceed first with an issuance as such.
The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. (?APCO?) explains in its filing that the 800 MHz band is currently in the process of a comprehensive ?rebanding? to move public safety licensees to the lower end of the band in order to prevent interference. Once Rebanding is completed, APCO would not object to Sprint Nextel?s request to utilize the ESMR block for upgraded technology, so long as it does not lead to harmful interference.
Smartcomm is pleased with the comments that have been filed regarding Sprint?s Declaratory Ruling and predicts the FCC will follow up with a Petition for Rulemaking in the near future. Smartcomm principals continuously review and analyze technological developments affecting the wireless communications industry. They also monitor the rulemaking and other proceedings at the FCC in order to do what is within their power to ensure the best for their clients. A repurposing of the 800 MHz ESMR Block, (and in addition, a repurposing of the entire PLMRB, as mentioned above) to include the authorization of greater than 25 kHz bandwidth operations, would be of great benefit to Smartcomm?s clients and other small businesses who rely on access to highly valuable spectrum to compete successfully in the mobile telephony and now mobile broadband marketplace.
?We hope the FCC moves quickly to repurpose not only the ESMR Block but also the entire 800 MHz PLMRB for mobile broadband,? says Smartcomm?s President, Pendleton Waugh. He continues by stating ?with the projected 70 times increase in U.S. mobile data traffic and little other spectrum available with the requisite RF propagation characteristics to provide additional spectrum capacity for at least five years, it is imperative that the Commission move forward to replace its present voice licensing approach with one providing wireless carriers badly needed additional spectrum capacity for high speed data and video traffic services.?
About Smartcomm, LLC
Phoenix-based Smartcomm, LLC provides consulting services and investment opportunities in the wireless communications industry to both individual and institutional investors. The company specializes in opportunities to acquire 700 MHz, 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz band spectrum through the filing of license applications, participation in FCC public auctions or acquisitions in the secondary market.
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