Howard Buskirk

The Dept. of Defense should work more closely with the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop technologies that can be used by first responders to respond to disasters, including new communications technologies, the National Academies’ National Research Council said in a report released Thurs. The report said the Army in particular should work more closely with first responders. “While many aspects of homeland security and homeland defense overlap, an extremely high correlation exists in the area of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR),” the report argued. “The committee believes that C4ISR is a high-payoff capability that offers great return on investment for the nation.” The report recommends the creation of a forum at the assistant secretary level to discuss how to best work together. The group observed: “Collaboration between the Army and DHS will be challenging because the organizational structure of DHS is still evolving and the Army is engaged in conflicts abroad.” Committee Chmn. John Lyons said: “Many of the needs of emergency response personnel could be addressed by technologies developed by the Army and other military services, so DHS and DoD should partner to answer these needs.”

Wireless carriers disagree sharply over the possible benefits of the intercarrier compensation proposal filed this week by the Intercarrier Compensation Forum (ICF). The 2 independent wireless carriers that had participated in the talks, Western Wireless and T-Mobile, dropped out in May when negotiations hit a major bump in the road. But 2 of the remaining 9 participants -- Sprint and SBC -- have substantial wireless interests. Officials with both companies told us Thurs. they took those interests into consideration in supporting the ICF proposal.

NTIA told the FCC it should go slow on development of regulations allowing for use of interference temperatures as a metric -- a concept the Office of Engineering & Technology says could help measure and manage interference opening up more spectrum to unlicensed use for such things as wireless Internet.

The Wireless Bureau has a team of 15 staffers working full time on the Cingular-AT&T Wireless merger, plowing through the information filings made by rival carriers and other documents, Chief John Muleta said Tues. The bureau likely will make a recommendation on the merger to the full Commission within the next 2 months, he said.

CTIA changed its strategy on H-block, refocusing on calls for further testing on how much “overload interference” is likely when an H-block device operates close to a wireless PCS handset. CTIA will lay out a testing plan in coming days and ask for a short delay in the release of an H-block order while the testing takes place, sources said Mon. The FCC is expected to hand down an order allocating H-block spectrum and a rulemaking on service rules at its Sept. 9 meeting (CD Aug 16 p1). CTIA will likely ask for at least a month’s delay for testing. Carriers have until Sept. 2 to make their case to the FCC. “With regard to the filter overload issue, you can’t answer the question unless you do testing,” a carrier source said Mon.: “What is the extent of the problem and how do you resolve it?… We still have significant concerns about how an H-block PCS service could impact incumbents. If those issues are addressable we'd like to find out.” The possibility of overload interference is “undisputed,” CTIA told the FCC in a filing Fri., providing additional information requested by the Office of Engineering & Technology: “CTIA believes that testing is required to confirm the scope and nature of such interference and to allow for reasoned decision-making on this crucial issue. The importance that PCS customers place on reliable communications and the importance that these communications play in our nation’s economy and in public safety demand no less.” CTIA said it has developed a test plan “and is in the process of securing independent test services to ensure that the overload… interference potential is fully understood.” Nextel filed in support of offering H-block spectrum at auction. A carrier source said on this issue Nextel and other carriers may not be far apart.

The FCC should deny an IEEE 802.18 Radio Regulatory Technical Advisory Group request to extend the comment deadline for a proceeding on the use of the white spaces between TV channels, opponents said. Intel told the Commission a proposed 6-month delay was unnecessary and would hurt the progress of technology. The “white spaces” in the TV spectrum could be used for new services, including broadband wireless.

Proceedings allocating H-block spectrum and proposing auction rules are before Chmn. Powell, sources said Fri. The items also establish an auction for the 2.1 GHz spectrum CTIA had proposed go to Nextel as part of its 800 MHz rebanding plan alternative to the “consensus plan” ultimately adopted by the Commission.

MONTREAL -- Public safety communications departments across the U.S. continue to struggle to make their systems interoperable, almost 3 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, officials said at the APCO meeting here. More problems loom as systems carry out 800 MHz rebanding, which in some cases could immediately hurt interoperability, they said.

MONTREAL -- FCC Chief of Staff Bryan Tramont said at the APCO conference here that, with the 800 MHz order out, the Commission will make the digital TV transition “the primary policy imperative of the agency” the next 6 months. Tramont, speaking on a panel of top FCC staffers, said Chmn. Powell is eager to establish a date certain for the transition, which will provide 700 MHz spectrum for public safety.

Western Wireless filed a complaint in federal court in Neb. against the Neb. PSC’s order granting a suspension of rural LEC’s local number portability obligations through Jan. 2006. The FCC ordered all carriers to port numbers starting May 24. The lawsuit is the first filed in federal court challenging a state commission’s suspension of those obligations.