WASHINGTON—A group of wireless broadband companies complained that Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Inc. should not be allowed to continue operating unauthorized and over-powered terrestrial repeaters in the 2 GHz band.
The WCS Coalition, a group including Sprint Nextel Corp., BellSouth Corp., NextWave Broadband Inc., AT&T Inc., Comcast Corp. and the Wireless Communications Association International, told the Federal Communications Commission that a Sirius petition seeking permanent rules for terrestrial repeaters is on the right the track insofar as it recognizes the need to prevent interference. But the WCA Coalition said that XM, Sirius and the FCC need to address interference problems from satellite radio terrestrial repeaters that are transmitting at higher-than-authorized levels and operating without special temporary authorizations—problems that both Sirius and XM have admitted to. The telecom agency has not said whether the issue has been referred to the Enforcement Bureau.
Wireless broadband firms said there is a lot at stake in crafting long-overdue guidelines that would enable both wireless broadband and satellite radio to thrive in the 2 GHz band.
“With the coming emergence of standards-based wireless broadband technologies for the 2.3 GHz band, WCS is poised to become a primary vehicle for the delivery of wireless broadband services to consumers both in the United States and abroad. That potential, however will be lost unless the commission adopts rules that provide for reasonable coexistence of WCS and DARS in the United States,” the group said in its FCC filing. “The WCS Coalition is hopeful that, through the upcoming discussions between the WCS and DARS communities, agreement can be reached on a regulatory regime that will permit both services to prosper. If there is one thing WCS and DARS agree on, it is that the time has to come to modify Parts 25 and 27 to assure the viable coexistence of both services.”
As such, the Sirius petition for rulemaking appears to be a vehicle for reaching common ground among the parties. However, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will have to approach the controversy with care. On one hand, Martin can point to satellite radio as providing a competitive alternative in the media space. On the other hand, wireless broadband is expected to play a larger role in deployment of high-speed Internet access in the United States—a top priority of Martin and a goal of President Bush.
The rhetoric of the wireless broadband industry has been far more pitched in recent weeks, as revelations of improper satellite radio terrestrial repeater operations surfaced. First, XM notified the FCC that 221 of its land-based repeaters were operating above authorized power levels and that 19 repeaters were transmitting outside the company’s authorized scope. Shortly after, XM rival Sirius disclosed that 11 of its repeaters do not comply with a special temporary authorization issued by the FCC.
The WCA trade group told the FCC that Sirius’ disclosure “is not a trivial issue” in light of the satellite radio company’s petition to effectively grandfather allegedly unlawful operations while the FCC crafts permanent rules for satellite radio terrestrial repeaters.
