WASHINGTON-First comes the policy decision, and then comes the implementation. So it is with the Federal Communications Commission’s secondary-markets rules, which become effective early next month.
The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Wednesday gave a seminar explaining how the interim licensing process will work.
“It is going to take us a while to get the elephant in the truck,” said James Brown of the wireless bureau, explaining why the process is not firm when the rules will be effective.
The wireless bureau hopes users of the interim process will make suggestions on it so the finalized procedures can be implemented efficiently. The target date for that is this summer, said Brown.
“We are very confident that during this interim process, we can get a better idea of what the industry wants to do and then develop a better process,” said WTB’s Denise Waters.
While the FCC will use its universal licensing system for most of the processing, fact checking the leasing applications will at least initially be done by staff.
Spectrum lessors must comply with the FCC’s radio-frequency interference and safety rules and satisfy license eligibility requirements such as foreign ownership and character qualifications.
WTB did not pass out the interim form to be used, because it is still being approved by the Office of Management and Budget. The final form is expected to closely track the interim form. The interim form will be released along with a public notice waiving some license procedures, such as allowing some changes to be done by e-mail.
The FCC hopes that its secondary-markets rules will allow fallow spectrum to be used more efficiently by allowing both short and long-term leases of spectrum.
WTB Chief John Muleta, who opened the event, praised the policy. “This is a landmark. It was many years in the making, but as bureau chief, I am glad it happened under my watch,” said Muleta.
