FCC Issues Notice of Violation for Unlit Tower

Late last month, the Commission issued a Notice of Violation to a tower owner for violating the lighting and accuracy components of the agency’s rules.  The Commission received a complaint that the structure had not been lit properly for months.  The FCC dispatched an agent from one of its Field Offices to the tower.  The agent not only confirmed that the lights on the structure were not functioning properly, but also that the coordinates listed on the ASR were more than 300 feet off from the actual location of the tower.  The Commission found a total of seven violations and asked the tower owner to respond to the Notice within 20 days. 

911 Location Accuracy Waiver for Rural Carriers

Last week, the Commission issued an Order granting a waiver filed by several rural carriers seeking relief from the FCC’s wireless E911 location accuracy standards.  The rule also imposes mandatory reporting requirements.  The Order requires the carriers to notify the Commission within 30 days of receiving a valid request from a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Phase II location data.  The waiver will terminate six months after the PSAP’s request.  In the same Order, the Commission granted T-Mobile’s request to withdraw a waiver request and denied NTCA’s request for a blanket waiver of the rules.  

FCC Seeks Comment on 3.65 GHz Petition for Reconsideration

In January, CallComm submitted a Petition for Reconsideration asking the Commission to include Part 90 Land Mobile Radiolocation licensees as incumbents in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS).  The Petition argues that these radiolocation operations should be protected as existing operations in the 3.65 GHz band.  On May 24, the Commission issued a Public Notice seeking comment on the Petition.  Comments are due 15 days after the Public Notice is published in the Federal Register. 

24 GHz Auction Concludes

Auction 102, the 24 GHz band auction, concluded on May 28, 2019 (Vol. XVI, Issue 16).  The Auction raised $2.024 billion, with bidders winning 2,904 of the 2,909 licenses offered.  Combined with Auction 101, which auctioned off the 28 GHz band, the FCC raised over $2.7 billion.  This week, the Commission plans to issue a Public Notice with the detailed results of Auction 101.  Auction 103, which includes the upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands, is scheduled to begin on December 10.