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May 22, 2010

Late Friday, the Federal Communications Commission freed up 25 megahertz of spectrum in the Wireless Communications Services band by allowing some satellite radio operators to use digital repeaters.

Overall, and for the past three years, the FCC has been struggling with that issue.

The Wireless Communications Association formed a WCS Coalition back then to address what it called regulatory threats to the use of the 2.3 GHz band in America, ie: interference from DARS terrestrial repeaters and an oppressive out-of-band emissions limit.

In March 2007, AT&T, Comcast, NextWave Broadband, Ntelos, Sprint Nexte, Horizon Wi-Com and Wave Tel License Corp., all members of the WCS Coalition voiced many concerns about the uncertainty of technical rules governing both services.

“The existing WCS rules constrain wireless operations to fixed services, but the FCC found that those rules can be revised to allow mobile broadband services without risking harmful interference to neighboring operations,” the agency said in a prepared statement Friday.

As part of the order, the FCC also enhanced buildout requirements for WCS licensees. For mobile and point-to-multipoint services, WCS licensees must serve at least 40 percent of the area's population within 42 months, and at least 75 percent within 6 years.

For fixed point-to-point services, WCS licensees must build and operate 15 point-to-point links per million people in a license area within 42 months, and 30 links within 72 months, together with a minimum payload capacity to ensure that the spectrum is used intensively.

The commission also signed into law an order that forces wireless carriers to comply with U.S. number porting requests within one business day of receiving the request.

The new rules go into effect for most wireless carriers Aug. 2nd, but smaller carriers have until Feb. 2, 2011 to comply with the regulations.

The new rules impact some major modifications from wireline providers to wireline and wireless providers and between VoIP providers as well.

Two weeks ago, the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affair Bureau unveiled a new initiative designed to counter unexpected overcharges on monthly wireless bills. Increasingly, surveys and various market research reveal that wireless consumers are more and more surprised by various unexpected overcharges on their monthly wireless bill.

They are asking the FCC that some changes be made to prevent mobile service operators from overcharging their customers.

The Federal Communications Commission said it will seek input on ways to alert consumers about “potential high charges before they add up,” citing a solution required in Europe by the European Union.

A number of wireless carriers currently provide text messaging alerts to consumers that are getting close to their allotment of calling minutes, though most are geared toward prepaid services.

“Overall, we are hearing from wireless consumers about unpleasant surprises on their bills,” said Joel Gurin, chief of the bureau.

“We’ve gotten hundreds of complaints about various bill overcharges. But this is an avoidable issue. Avoiding overcharges is good for consumers and ultimately good business for wireless carriers as well,” added Gurin.

Comments on the notice are due no more than 45 days after publication in the Federal Register, with reply comments due sixty days after their publication.

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Source: The FCC.