PCIA – Wireless Infrastructure Assoc.

WASHINGTON-The regulatory landscape for the personal communications services industry is dominated not by issues that are PCS-specific but by issues impacting the entire commercial mobile radio services industry. “Even though there may be some rules that are different (for PCS …

WASHINGTON-The future of the American Mobile Telecommunications Association has become clouded by the anticipated departure of Nextel Communications Inc., the nation’s top dispatch radio operator and a major underwriter of the trade association. “We’re reshaping things,” said AMTA President Alan …

WASHINGTON-The FBI should set digital wiretap capacity standards for messaging services based on percentages rather than geography, said the Personal Communications Industry Association in comments filed with the FBI last week. Those services include traditional paging, two-way paging, narrowband personal …

Increasingly, for wireless regulators, striking a policy balance on issues affecting competition, consumer safety and law enforcement is a big challenge. Owing in part to converging technologies and changing markets, these issues are more complex than ever. Answers are not …

WASHINGTON-The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association has filed reply comments with the Federal Communications Commission arguing entities-including the Personal Communications Industry Association-that say the spectrum cap should remain in place “misrepresent the current state of competition.” The spectrum cap limits carriers …

WASHINGTON-In an effort to spur the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to act on outstanding issues regarding the 800 MHz band, the Personal Communications Industry Association has sent a letter to WTB Chief Thomas Sugrue. The letter was sent in the …

WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association continued its fight last week to keep the spectrum cap in place. The spectrum cap limits carriers to 45 megahertz in a given geographic area. In reply comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission, PCIA …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission last week rejected a proposal from the Personal Communications Industry Association to institute a caller pays, or coin-in-the-box, plan for pay-phone compensation rather than the current carrier-pays setup. A coin-in-the-box proposal would require customers to deposit …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission’s review of the spectrum cap has turned into a big vs. little battle with the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association and most large wireless carriers in favor of lifting the cap, while the Personal Communications Industry Association …

WASHINGTON-Notwithstanding the Federal Communications Commission’s findings last week that the rollout of advanced technologies is “reasonable and timely,” Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), chairman of the Senate communications subcommittee, plans to introduce legislation this month to prod the FCC to do …

WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association last week urged the Federal Communications Commission to re-visit its rooftop access rules. The rules adopted in November to implement the Telecommunications Act of 1996 restrict access only to customers with balconies or patios. FCC …

WASHINGTON-FCC Commissioner Michael Powell has entered the forbearance fray with a strongly worded statement about the burden-of-proof test the Federal Communications Commission uses to determine whether certain rules should be disregarded because of competition. “Competition and free markets are not …

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry is drafting legislation to shift the burden of the forbearance test in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 from the industry to the Federal Communications Commission. This legislation is expected to be considered as part of a larger …

WASHINGTON-The wireless industry, increasingly beset with new local, state and federal taxes, is hoping to capitalize on the GOP-led Congress’ plans to parlay unexpectedly massive federal surpluses into a big tax cut this year. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) …

WASHINGTON-The telecommunications industry forum studying whether the telephone network will work when the new century arrives needs better participation from the wireless industry, said Peter Spring of the Network Reliability and Interoperability Council. NRIC is a Federal Communications Commission advisory …

WASHINGTON-A large contingent of telecommunications industry representatives was expected to meet with government officials Friday to present a proposal to change the rules governing how telecom carriers must treat customer privacy information. The expected proposal, however, is being panned by …

WASHINGTON-A federal court of appeals on Friday upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum cap. The decision comes as the FCC is examining whether to remove the restriction that limits carriers to 45 megahertz in a given geographic area. BellSouth Wireless …

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Personal Communications Industry Association filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission urging it to refrain from creating a separate radio service pool for oil companies, utilities and railroads’ safety needs. PCIA said it argued that every kind of …

NEW YORK-Echoing Rodney Dangerfield’s complaint, wireless carriers continue to say, “I don’t get no respect” as they fight skirmishes over local exchange carrier interconnection fees while the decisive battle is pending at the U.S. Supreme Court. Winter’s fallow time finds …

WASHINGTON-The Industrial Telecommunications Association warned the Federal Communications Commission not to use a pending proceeding involving Nextel Communications Inc. to make a de facto ruling that private wireless spectrum should be auctioned. “Saia [Communications Inc.] argues that the policy behind …

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The Personal Communications Industry Association announced the formation of the PCIA Mobile Computing Advisory Group with Microsoft Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc., Oracle and Philips Consumer Communications. The PCIA MCAG’s main goal will be to promote wireless mobile computing. The …

WASHINGTON-The Personal Communications Industry Association may use a recent economic study on wireless taxation to urge Congress to pass a Wireless Tax Freedom Act similar to the Internet Tax Freedom Act enacted earlier this year, said Mary McDermott, PCIA chief …

WASHINGTON-A wireless-industry proposal that would allow carriers to institute calling party pays is stalled at the Federal Communications Commission due to a lack of consensus among industry players, said Thomas Wheeler, president of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. “[The industry] …

WASHINGTON-The telecommunications industry may have an easier time convincing Congress the grandfather date in the digital wiretap act should be changed now that Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) has been elected House Speaker. Livingston has been fully briefed on the issue …

WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission tomorrow will argue its rules for universal-service financing are legal, while its opponent, Celpage Inc., a paging company from Puerto Rico, contends contributions to the Universal Service Fund are taxes-unconstitutional taxes. The arguments will take place …