Public Safety Broadband: Creative Partnerships Needed
Posted by Jesse Ward on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 · 
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Earlier this week, I attended the Public Safety Broadband Summit & Expo, an event produced by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials – International.
The second annual summit was an opportunity for state and regional public safety communicators, international representatives, equipment vendors and other interested parties to discuss the status of public safety communications.
It’s widely anticipated that with the recent passage of H.R. 3630, a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network may finally come to fruition. Congress approved the landmark legislation in February 2012. Formally known as The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, H.R. 3630 contains comprehensive spectrum and public safety legislation.
The Act directed NTIA to establish a First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet), a 15-member independent agency housed within NTIA that will oversee the design, construction, deployment and sustainment of the nationwide public safety broadband network based on a single network architecture. Read more
Sen. Grassley Lifts Hold on FCC Nominees
Posted by Steve Fravel on Monday, April 30, 2012 · ·
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) on April 27 released a hold he placed on two nominees for vacant commissioner seats at the FCC. Releasing the hold will allow the senate to proceed with its review and potential confirmation of the two applicants.
Sen. Grassley placed the holds on Ajit Pai (R) and Jessica Rosenworcel (De) four months ago after his request for information from the commission was rebuffed primarily due to Sen. Grassley not holding a leadership position on a committee with jurisdiction over the commission.
In a statement released by his office, Sen. Grassley said that he intends to pursue his inquiry into LightSquared. “The documents I’ve seen so far raise more questions than I had before,” he said. Read more
Grassley Stands Firm on Nominee Hold
Posted by Steve Fravel on Friday, April 13, 2012 · ·
April 10 articles in TR Daily and Broadcasting & Cable cover Sen. Charles Grassley’s (R–Iowa) position on documents concerning LightSquared and its stalled attempt to launch a nationwide 4G long term evolution (LTE) network. According to Sen. Grassley, the documents shared with him on April 6 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee appear to be incomplete.
The Iowa senator has requested that additional information from the FCC be made available to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The senator is maintaining his hold on two nominees for commissioner’s seats at the FCC. A spokesperson for Grassley said in a statement, “According to the FCC, the documents all have been previously released through the Freedom of Information Act.” This point was made in the cover letter accompanying the documents. Read more
13,000 FCC Documents to House Committee
Posted by Steve Fravel on Friday, March 30, 2012 · ·
In separate March 29 articles, TR Daily and Broadcasting and Cable reported that the FCC has turned over more than 13,000 documents in response to a request from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The committee specifically requested documents pertaining to the proposed nationwide LTE network construction and deployment by LightSquared.
In January 2011, the commission approved LightSquared’s request for a conditional waiver and ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) authority. However, the commission stipulated that the LightSquared proposed service would be dependent upon proof that its L-band spectrum devices would not interfere with the global positioning system (GPS) devices in use by government agencies, private organizations and individuals. In February 2012, based upon a report from the NTIA, the International Bureau of the FCC proposed to vacate the LightSquared conditional waiver and ATC authority due to bandwidth interference with GPS device operations. Read more
More on LightSquared
Posted by Steve Fravel on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 · ·
The FCC recently announced that it has suspended a conditional waiver that had allowed LightSquared to construct and operate a satellite-hybrid LTE network. According to published reports, LightSquared was served early last week with a notice of default. LightSquared apparently failed to make a $56.25 million payment to Inmarsat. LightSquared has 60 days to correct the non-payment.
The ruling was prompted by a report from the National Telecommunications Information Agency (NTIA) indicating that the LightSquared planned LTE wholesale network would create harmful interference with GPS devices used by the U.S. government and commercial aviation. LightSquared has maintained that the interference is due to poor design of GPS devices that allow the units to “listen in” to devices in the L-band spectrum where LightSquared intended to deploy its network. The FCC has issued a request for comment on the NTIA letter. Read more
LightSquared at an Impasse?
Posted by Steve Fravel on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 · ·
Additional information added to this article on Friday, February 17, 2012.
With hints at possible litigation, there is every indication that LightSquared has hit the wall on a Valentine’s Day offering little love. The International Bureau of the FCC revoked the conditional approval LightSquared was granted in January 2011. Read more
More on LightSquared
Posted by Steve Fravel on Friday, January 20, 2012 · ·
To review what has taken place over the past week or so: the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Executive Committee announced on Friday January 13 that, “Based upon this testing analysis, there appear to be no practical solutions or mitigations that would permit the LightSquared broadband service, as proposed, to operate in the next few months or years without significantly interfering with GPS. As a result, no additional testing is warranted at this time.” The announcement was released after follow-up testing of general location and navigation devices and cellular GPS had taken place. Read more