Telecom Business Alert – Part 90 Waiver Request, RF Safety Comments, and other FCC issues, Vol X Issue 37
FCC Public Notice Seeks Comment on Part 90 Waiver Request
Last month, the FCC released a Public Notice seeking comment on a request filed by Mobile Relay Associates (“MRA”) for a waiver of the Commission’s rules to permit the company to operate on several UHF channels in certain metropolitan areas. The channels MRA requested are located on the band edges between the Industrial/Business Pool and General Mobile Radio Service spectrum and are not designated for use by any Commission service. MRA requested authority to operate on these channels with a 4 kHz emission designator in Las Vegas, Denver, Miami, and Los Angeles. The company argued that its proposed operations will not overlap or interfere with nearby channels in light of the recent narrowband transition in the UHF land mobile band. Comments are due September 30, 2013, and Reply Comments must be filed by October 15, 2013. Please contact Greg Kunkle (kunkle@khlaw.com; 202.434.4178) for more information.
RF Safety Comments Filed with the FCC
Earlier this year, the FCC released a First Report and Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Notice of Inquiry reviewing its radio frequency (RF) safety and exposure rules for the first time in a decade. The release did not change the current RF safety levels for the general public or occupational workers, but sought comment from the industry and other government agencies regarding updated research into the impact of non-ionizing radiation on humans. Last week, the EMRadiation Policy Institute (EMRPI) filed Comments with the FCC arguing that the Commission has done too little to protect consumers from the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation. .
NTIA Awards FirstNet Grants
Last month, NTIA awarded more than $15 million in grants to seven states and the U.S. Virgin Islands for FirstNet planning under the State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP). Under the program, recipients must match at least 20 percent of the government’s contribution. Grants were awarded to Alaska ($2 million), Idaho ($1.4 million), Montana ($1.8 million), Nevada ($1.9 million), Pennsylvania ($3.9 million), Tennessee ($2.3 million), and Utah ($1.7 million). Please contact Wes Wright (202.434.4296; wright@khlaw.com) with questions.
Annual FCC Regulatory Fees
Late last month, the FCC released a Report and Order announcing regulatory fees for fiscal year 2013. Licensees of certain facilities, such as Satellite Earth Stations, are required to make annual regulatory fee payments which are due by September 20, 2013. For many licensed facilities, such as private microwave and land mobile systems, the regulatory fees are paid as part of the application fee at the time an application for new or renewed authority is submitted to the Commission. The regulatory fees for many Private Land Mobile Radio Service licenses will remain the same, but licensees holding 470-512 MHz, 800 MHz or 900 MHz licenses will notice a slight increase.
Register Today – Quarterly K&H Webinar on CII Telecom Issues
Keller and Heckman LLP attorneys will host a complimentary webinar for clients and friends of the firm at noon Eastern on September 25, 2013, to discuss key telecom issues facing the Critical Infrastructure industries. This webinar is the third in a series addressing current events at the FCC of particular interest to CII companies, including wireless spectrum issues, licensing and enforcement trends, network services, pole attachments, and cybersecurity.
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