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THOMAS REJECTS INTERCONNECT APPEAL
WASHINGTON-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas chose to trick rather than treat the Federal Communications Commission Oct. 31 when he wrote "application denied" on a request made by that agency to vacate the current stay of certain inter-connection rules issued by the U.S. Court...
BARRIERS REMOVED FOR PUBLIC UTILI TIES WANTING TO ENTER TELECOM
WASHINGTON-Public utilities that want to enter the telecom industry had many of the barriers to such action removed by the Federal Communications Commission last Thursday. Commissioners voted unanimously to streamline the FCC's procedure for determining who meets the criteria to be an "exempt telecommunications...
LICENSEES MIGHT EXPAND BY AC QUIRING `DOUGHNUTS’
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission apparently has come up with a winning plan to expand its current rules regarding partitioning and spectrum disaggregation by commercial mobile services licensees.Many current personal communications services licensees are looking forward to increasing their service areas not by auction but...
GROUPS PUSH SHORTER TIME FOR VOLUNTARY RELOCATION BY DEBRA WAYNE
WASHINGTON-Opinions are split when it comes to shortening the voluntary negotiation period between microwave incumbents and C-, D-, E- and F-block personal communications services licensees. Several commenters on the proposed Federal Communications Commission amendment also would allow reimbursing incumbents to relocate links on their...
MANY SMR COMMENTS OPPOSE `AUCTION FIRST, ASK LATER’ STANCE
WASHINGTON-Despite congressional mandates that have put the Federal Communications Commission on a regulatory timeline, the commission should plan on a long, slow haul on its road to further develop 800 MHz specialized mobile radio systems. Changes in regulatory treatment and implementation of auction procedures...
NOT ALL MICROWAVE INCUMBENTS ARE ONEROUS ABOUT RELOCATIONS
While some microwave incumbents are being unreasonable, others are negotiating fairly, reaching agreements and making plans to move their microwave links from the 2 GHz spectrum, according to telecom and utility people involved in the process."It's unfair to tarnish the image of the microwave...
INDUSTRY GROUPS EXCHANGE JABS AS CLEARING 2 GHZ BAND BEGINS
WASHINGTON-Industry negotiations aimed at clearing fixed microwave licensees off the 2 GHz band that next-generation pocket telephone systems will soon occupy have begun with a bang.Personal Communications Industry Association President Jay Kitchen fired the opening discharge late last month, stating in a letter to...
ASSOCIATIONS ASK FCC TO MODIFY FREEZE ON INTERCATEGORY SHARING
Two industry associations have asked the Federal Communications Commission to modify the freeze placed on intercategory sharing in the 800 MHz band, suggesting it only apply to specialized mobile radio operators or other groups interloping into industrial/land transportation, business or public-safety pools.The freeze, announced...
UTILITIES ABLE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO NATION'S INFORMATION HIGHWAY
Recently, the Senate Commerce Committee approved "The Telecommunications Competition and Deregulation Act of 1995," which included the following provision: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary*...*an electric, gas, water, or steam utility, and any subsidiary company, affiliate or associate company of such a...
RCR PERSON OF THE YEAR REED HUNDT
Editor's note: After only a little more than a year as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Reed Hundt has spearheaded some of the most dramatic changes ever for the wireless communications industry. He has, in effect, redesigned an industry by creating a commercial mobil...