Telecom Business Alert -- FirstNet, TV White Space, Drones -- Vol. XI Issue 22
New FirstNet Chair
On May 28, the Department of Commerce announced that Sue Swenson has been appointed as Chair of the FirstNet Board. Ms. Swenson, who was Vice Chair, has had a large role in FirstNet’s spectrum lease negotiations and development of the strategic roadmap. FirstNet is scheduled to hold two days of meetings in Westminster, Colorado on June 2-3. The Public Safety Communications Research Program is holding its Conference at the same location on June 3-5. Al Catalano and Wesley Wright of Keller and Heckman will attend both the Conference and the FirstNet Board meeting. For more information regarding spectrum sharing opportunities, please contact Al Catalano (Catalano@khlaw.com; 202-434-4207).
FAA Drone Center of Excellence
On May 27, the FAA released a draft solicitation for a new FAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. This Center is expected to become a consortium of public, private, and academic parties working in a cost-sharing relationship to research unmanned aircraft issues. The draft solicitation lays out the research areas, evaluation criteria, reporting requirements, and proposal submission mechanics under the Center of Excellence. Comments on the draft solicitation will be accepted through June 29. For more information, please contact Greg Kunkle (Kunkle@khlaw.com; 202-434-4178).
FCC Proposes Hefty Fine
On May 29, the FCC issued a notice of apparent liability for forfeiture of $294,400 against Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood, LLC. The violations stem from Constellium’s operation of eight Private Land Mobile Radio Service (“PLMR”) stations without authorization and subsequent transfer of twelve PLMR stations without FCC consent. Under the FCC’s rules, operation of wireless radio stations must be authorized by the FCC and any transfers of control of wireless radio authorizations must receive prior Commission consent. For more information, please contact Wes Wright (Wright@khlaw.com; 202-434-4239).
Keller and Heckman UTC iPad Air Drawing Winner: Paul Thompson
In May, Keller and Heckman held a drawing for an iPad Air at the Utilities Telecom Council ("UTC") conference in Phoenix. Of the many visitors to the Keller and Heckman booth who entered the drawing, we are pleased to announce that Paul Thompson, Engineering Designer at Salt River Project, is the winner!
Send Us Your Feedback
We welcome your feedback on topics of interest that you would like to see covered in our Telecom Business Alert. To make suggestions, please e-mail telecomalert@khlaw.com.
Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert is a complimentary weekly electronic update created by the Telecommunications and the Business Counseling and Transactional practice groups of Keller and Heckman LLP. All articles, videos, and quotations are on topics of general interest and do not constitute legal advice for particularized facts. Keller and Heckman LLP's Telecom Business Alert © 2013. All rights reserved. Articles may be copied with attribution. To sign up for our weekly alert, please send us an email at telecomalert@khlaw.com and provide us with your name and email. Please follow us on twitter at @KHtelecom.