https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookie Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
    • Product Guides
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

content


>From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’

>From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’

Turnabout Some specific radio frequencies are shared among many licensees in a given area. The government, which issues licenses, isn't faced with choosing
  • Written by Urgent Communications Administrator
  • 21st December 2000

Turnabout Some specific radio frequencies are shared among many licensees in a given area. The government, which issues licenses, isn’t faced with choosing among multiple applicants to use such frequencies. It has delegated the task, right or wrong, to free enterprise in the form of trade associations.

Other radio frequencies (and TV channels) are assigned to only one license-seeker for its exclusive use in a given location or area. Once, when the availability of these frequencies drew multiple license-seekers, the government used to choose the “best” applicant based on a complex set of qualifications in what was called a comparative hearing. When it discarded that approach, then the government would choose the “lucky” applicant at random, with a lottery. Currently, the government chooses the “richest” applicant with an auction.

(Actually, sometimes the comparative hearings chose the “richest” one, too, but the money spent went to lawyers. With auctions, the money goes to the U.S. Treasury_and lawyers. No objections have been heard from lawyers.)

I’ve watched this evolution in license-granting from “best” to “luckiest” to “richest” take place over the past three decades. I’ve been interested, and sometimes dismayed, to see how several groups of radio-frequency (RF) spectrum users have fared in this effort by the government to simplify its job (no matter how difficult it makes things for members of the public that government is supposed to serve.)

Hardly any user wants to bid for RF spectrum. The process is extraordinarily complicated, besides being expensive. If a user can effectively trumpet claims of improving public safety or other benefits to the public, it can win an exemption from auctions. It also helps if the user does not resell use of the spectrum.

Take police, fire and emergency medical services, for example. Their connection with public safety is clear, and they are exempt from spectrum auctions. Take radio amateurs, for another example. Some amateur operators engage directly in projects that improve public safety and welfare. For this and other reasons, including the fact that they do not resell or otherwise make money with their spectrum access, the amateur radio service is exempt.

Take commercial and private mobile radio services (CMRS and PMRS), for example. Within CMRS, there is a growing trend for specialized mobile radio (SMR) system operators to provide communications services to public safety agencies. Regardless, they now must acquire their licenses through auction_or by purchasing rights from auction winners.

Within PMRS, efforts are under way to persuade the government to lease spectrum for many location-specific private radio purposes instead of auctioning it for use in large areas. Trade associations want to help applicants to engineer applications that are not mutually exclusive (that do not use the same frequency in the same area as other applicants) to help them to avoid auctions.

Last, but not least, consider broadcasters. With pleas as to their service to public safety (broadcasting during emergencies and disasters) and other services to the public (news and public affairs programs), broadcasters have persuaded the government to exempt them from auctions.

Until now.

On Nov. 25, 1997, the FCC proposed new rules to implement new authority to auction commercial broadcast licenses_authority given to it by Congress. The final rules may be retroactive to cover all mutually exclusive applications that will have been pending when the rules are adopted.

The political power in broadcasting is in television. Virtually all of the pending applications affected by the proposed rule are for radio stations. Radio broadcasters don’t have enough clout to stop the new rules. TV broadcasters won’t defend radio broadcasters.

One thing more: The proposed auctions do not affect digital television. The FCC is prepared to grant license applications, one to each TV station, for one additional 6MHz channel for digital television. The applications are not mutually exclusive, so they are not subject to auction.

(Attempts by broadcasters to use the digital channels for non-broadcast, revenue-generating purposes might be “taxed” at a high rate by the FCC. Their analog channels are expected to be taken back, but probably not before 2006.)

Applying auctions first to mutually exclusive applications might be the camel’s nose in the tent, though. If the proposal passes, the FCC might take a run at TV broadcasters, especially with backing from a spectrum-money-hungry Congress that wants sales prices numbered in billions of dollars. TV broadcasters will be counting on their applications for free digital TV channels being granted before the auction camel steps all the way inside.

Transitions We say goodbye to our senior associate editor, Ellen Jensen, who has become a staff writer for Wireless Review. Ellen joined us about five years ago. Her skills as a writer, editor and computer wizard have benefited readers, contributing writers, advertisers and co-workers alike. Not to mention that working with her was a joy. I know she’ll impress her new friends at Wireless Review as much as she impressed us.

Nikki Chandler, whom Ellen recruited as editorial assistant a year ago, moves up to associate editor. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Nikki started with Intertec Publishing two years ago as an intern with Transmission & Distribution World magazine. The high quality of her work was obvious. Through a clever ploy that allowed us to have an early choice of job applicants last year, we were fortunate to be able to make an offer to Nikki before other Intertec magazines could. She has fulfilled our expectations, to say the least, and we congratulate her on her promotion.

Joining us as associate art director is Scott Dolash, who combines experience in print media, advertising and illustration to support the preparation of the magazine’s covers, page layouts, diagrams and illustrations. You’ll be seeing some of the Dolash touch before long. We say goodbye to our previous art director, Mike Knust, who has taken an assignment with two other Intertec magazines. Thanks, Mike, for a job well done.

Tags: content

Most Recent


  • >From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’
    Newscan: Securing the Internet of Things is quite a challenge
    Also: EWA requests dismissal of 900 MHz applications; TIA names tech and policy priorities for 2014; IJIS Institute names Shumate Award winner; App makes bus waits more tolerable; a Blackberry comeback may be in the offing.
  • >From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’
    Newscan: FCC certifies Carlson Wireless's white-space radio
    Also: Congress looks to revamp telecom law; Obama to place some restraints on surveillance; IEEE to study spectrum-occupancy sensing for white-spaces broadband; Major Swedish transport operator opts for Sepura TETRA radios; RFMD to partner on $70 million next-generation power grid project; NENA opens registratiuon for "911 Goes to Washington."
  • >From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’
    Newscan: A look at the critical job of 911 dispatchers
    Also: NYC launches website for tracking 911 response times; Oregon implements 911 on pre-paid cell phones; LightSquared wants to keep spectrum assets; Harris receives multiple government orders; FCC extends rebanding financial reconciliation deadline; Zetron gear at core of communications system upgrade; Ritron debuts wireless access control system; EWA seeks policy review of VHF vehicular repeater system deployments.
  • >From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’
    Newscan: Average peak data rates of 144 MB/s average realized in tests with CAT 4 LTE device
    Also: Verizon, T-Mobile to swap unused spectrum to improve coverage; Internet giants oppose surveillance--but only when the government does it; FCC Chairman says incentive auction will be delayed until middle of 2015; FCC chair announces staff appointments; Alcatel-Lucent names Tim Krause as chief marketing officer; New Jersey county deploys TriTech CAD system; Toronto airport deploys 26-position Zetron console system;

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • RugGear: Contributing to the future of mission-critical broadband communication review and market vision
  • Photo gallery: 2014 Communications Marketing Conference (CMC) in Tucson
  • >From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’
    Top 5 Stories - Week of Sept. 22
  • >From ‘best’ to ‘luckiest’ to ‘richest’
    RCA plans to expand this year's Technical Symposium

Commentary


How 5G is making cities safer, smarter, and more efficient

26th January 2023

3GPP moves Release 18 freeze date to March 2024

18th January 2023

Do smart cities make safer cities?

  • 1
6th January 2023
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

Hytera parent cites financial health, but unable to make royalty payment to Motorola Solutions dlvr.it/ShlrlM

1st February 2023
UrgentComm

NATE: Todd Schlekeway highlights organization’s safety, legislative initiatives dlvr.it/ShljHj

1st February 2023
UrgentComm

Cybercrime ecosystem spawns lucrative underground Gig Economy dlvr.it/ShkKbf

31st January 2023
UrgentComm

FAA approves beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights in North Dakota dlvr.it/ShgxHW

30th January 2023
UrgentComm

AT&T boasts of core ‘white box’ success in 5G, fiber push dlvr.it/Shgb4w

30th January 2023
UrgentComm

Spending American Rescue Plan Act funds: A primer for municipalities dlvr.it/ShgZ52

30th January 2023
UrgentComm

AT&T wireless growth keyed by FirstNet—now provides 24,000 agencies with 4.4 million connections dlvr.it/ShY5qH

27th January 2023
UrgentComm

Report: Remote work causing offices to empty, but walkable cities still in high demand dlvr.it/ShXM7Z

27th January 2023

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.