On April 25, the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) dismissed separate petitions from two public safety groups regarding land mobile/television spectrum.
The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) petition asked the commission to amend its rules addressing land mobile/television sharing criteria at 470MHz to 512MHz (channels 14-20). The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) petition for rulemaking asked the FCC to update its list of TV stations on channels 14-20 that applicants seeking to operate land mobile systems in the 470MHz to 512MHz band would be required to analyze for purpose interference protection.
The OET said it was dismissing both petitions without prejudice because the Middle Class Tax Reliever and Job Creation Act of 2012, which was enacted on Feb. 22, requires the agency to reallocate spectrum in the 470MHz to 512MHz band within nine years.
“In light of the Spectrum Act, we find that it would be imprudent to further consider the NRSTC Petition as filed,” the OET order said. According to the order, modifying or expanding the rules related to land mobile use in the 470MHz to 512MHz band would be best considered together with the agency’s analysis of the Spectrum Act and as the law is implemented.
“We also find that the APCO Petition plainly does not warrant further consideration at this time,” it said. “As the Commission implements this legislation, we expect that the sharing environment between the remaining land mobile operations and television broadcasting in this band will change. Thus, we conclude that it would be premature to consider changes to the interference protection requirements at this time.”
