The FCC is developing its own wireless carrier database to analyze the proposed merger of AT&T Wireless-Cingular, as well as to assess the national wireless market in light of the merger. The Wireless Bureau has asked major carriers for the same sort of data previously requested by the Dept. of Justice (CD July 12 p1). Carrier sources told us Fri. they have to provide FCC with new “truckloads” of paper on top of what they already provided DoJ. “This thing has been a real headache for the carriers,” said one source. “It was a lot coming on top of the other request.” Sources said the filings will make it easier for the FCC to closely scrutinize the merger with an eye on whether Cingular and AT&T Wireless should have to sell off spectrum licenses in some markets or customers. Some divestitures are expected. The FCC requests less information, seeking data from only the 52 largest markets. Responses were due Fri. So far, Sprint and T- Mobile have requested more time to supply FCC the desired information.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
The Rural Cellular Assn. is breaking with other rural groups to urge an end to set-asides for designated entities (DEs), arguing that bidding credits are a much more effective means of spurring bids by small carriers. RCA said the FCC should undertake a rulemaking to explore different levels of bidding credits as well as smaller geographic areas for licenses.
Wireless carriers made a late push at the FCC to head off a pending order on outage reporting, which is expected to add several key recommendations the FCC made in the notice of proposed rulemaking. Industry representatives were meeting with agency officials right up to the issuance Wed. of the “sunshine notice” stating that the item had been placed on the agenda for next week’s open meeting (CD July 29 p5). Carrier sources said a key question is whether FCC has incorporated suggestions by the Dept. of Homeland Security for making information submitted as secure as possible.
The Wireless Communications Assn. is considering a petition for reconsideration following release Thurs. of FCC’s order setting new rules for the 2495-2690 MHz band. Among WCA’s concerns is that a bandwidth sharing plan for the 2496-2500 MHz band could cause enough anxiety among investors to negate in part FCC efforts to spur more investment in wireless broadband. The fight pits WCA against GlobalStar, main user of the space.
The FCC Technological Advisory Council (TAC) agreed Wed. to push forward on trying to devise a model for quantifying the cost of radio spectrum interference, which could help the Commission as it delves deeper into its interference temperature initiative and other items exploring how to make maximum use of scarce spectrum in a wireless world. But the engineers and scientists on TAC vigorously debated the proposal and whether it would help the FCC make real-world spectrum decisions.
The Consumer Federation of America renewed its attack on the Cingular-AT&T Wireless merger, arguing in a white paper that the Justice Dept. should reject the merger because it will hurt local telephone competition. The paper draws a connection between the potential effect on wireless competition and growing concerns about telecom prices with the phase-out of the UNE-P and resulting departure of CLECs from some markets.
Wireless carriers are planning a series of meetings at the FCC to convince the Commission to move forward on its long-awaited National Programmatic Agreement (NPA) on cell tower siting, worked out in 3 years of negotiation. CTIA and Verizon Wireless met with a key staffer for Comr. Copps last week in what is seen as the effort’s kickoff.
CTIA and wireless carriers concerned about a pending proposal that they provide outage information to the FCC got critical support for their arguments that the reporting could have negative implications for homeland security. Rep. Davis (R-Va.), chmn. of the House Govt. Reform Committee, said requirements proposed by FCC run counter to the Critical Infrastructure Information Act (CIIA) approved by Congress in 2002. “The proposed FCC regulations run counter to the CIIA provisions, would reverse the intended impact of the Act, and negate the role of DHS in the protection of our nation,” Davis wrote Chmn. Powell in a letter Wed. “The FCC proposal is not crafted from a security perspective. We do not want to create additional vulnerabilities for critical infrastructure sectors.” FCC is expected to vote at its Aug. meeting on an order that would impose mandatory reporting requirements on wireless carriers. Davis asked the FCC to consider the full implications for CIIA before moving forward with a vote. A top wireless lobbyist said the letter shows growing concerns about the FCC proposal: “I think there are folks at DHS who are just tuning into the fact that the order may be counter to what they're trying to achieve on homeland security.”
Ultra-wideband industry officials say a final decision by the IEEE could be a year or more away on UWB standards on 802.15.3a, resolving the fight between the Motorola-led DS- UWB Forum and the Intel-Texas Instrument-led MBOA. An MBOA official said Thurs. the group may bypass IEEE entirely until after it has a working product.
In a development raising red flags for wireless carriers, regulators in Neb. and Ohio suspended on a long- term basis a requirement that LECs port numbers to their wireless competitors. Sources said the decisions Tues. could add pressure on the FCC to issue an order on who pays the cost of transporting calls under its nationwide LNP mandate.