Genachowski Answers Wireless Communications Services Letters

Earlier this year, Members of Congress wrote Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski to warn him about how mishandling an FCC proceeding on Wireless Communications Services (WCS) could cause harmful interference to nearly 35 million listeners to satellite radio.

They said that "deployment of new broadband services should not threaten other established licensees and cause disruptive interference to millions of existing consumers. The WCS spectrum is already being utilized for fixed broadband applications pursuant to FCC rules. Those original rules prohibited mobile devices from operating on these frequencies, however, specifically because oft he threat of interference with satellite radio services, which use frequencies adjacent to WCS. This initial conclusion was based upon a thorough record, and despite engineering advances since.that time, remains equally valid today."

In April, Chairman Genachowski wrote back to Congress saying that the FCC is "actively engaged in addressing interference issues that might exist between WCS and the Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS). Commission staff released a Public Notice on April 2, 20 I0, to supplement the record with public comments on draft interference rules for the WCS and SDARS. The draft rules include provisions to minimize the risk of harmful interference to SDARS from mobile WCS operation."