700 MHz Guard Band managers soon to reveal progress toward fulfilling license obligations

An FCC requirement that 700 MHz Guard Band managers file reports about their use of the spectrum they purchased from the federal government will give a glimpse into their progress, if any, as early as Oct. 10.

Access Spectrum, Bethesda, Md.; Nextel Communications, McLean, Va.; and Pegasus Communications, Bala Cynwyd, Penn.; bought the lion’s share of 700 MHz Guard Band spectrum.

Access Spectrum offers to lease all of the spectrum it bought, reserving none for its own use.

Nextel Communications wants to trade its 700 MHz spectrum in a plan that it claims would mitigate interference to public safety radio communications at 800 MHz. The plan also could allow the construction of a new Nextel CDMA wireless telephone network at 2 GHz. The company would prefer such a trade in place of following through on the construction or leasing requirements of its Guard Band license.

Pegasus Communications has no discernible plans for its Guard Band spectrum and does not respond to inquiries. The company has larger financial problems; see related story.

The FCC is requiring the Guard Band managers to file their reports between Sept. 4 and Oct. 1. Each report will be available to the public within 10 business days after it is filed. It will be possible to search the reports by licensee name, call sign, or by date range of when the reports were filed or to view all of the reports. The “search results” Web page will list the licensee name, call signs and the date the report was submitted. Click on the record you want to see and the report will be available for viewing on-line or for printing a hard copy. To search for reports, go to http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/guard700/data/reports.

The 700 MHz Guard Band managers are required to report the following information for each license held:

• The call sign and market area.

• The total number of spectrum users.

• The number of spectrum users that are affiliates of the Guard Band manager.

• The amount of spectrum being used by the Guard Band manager’s affiliates in any part of the licensed service area and the amount of spectrum being used pursuant to agreements with unaffiliated third parties.

• The general nature of its customers’ spectrum use.

• The length of the term of each user agreement.

The FCC wants the information to accurately convey the licensee’s state of operations as of Aug. 1. In addition, to the extent that a Guard Band manager does not have any agreements in place, the FCC wants each manager to describe its progress towards leasing the spectrum, including but not limited to when it expects to have agreements in place and when equipment will be available.

Future reports are due on March 1 every year and are expected to describe the Guard Band licensee’s state of operations as of Jan. 1 of that year.