FCC Promotes Wireless Investment and Deployment in the 800 MHz SMR Band

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Report and Order that reduces barriers to the deployment of broadband, encourages investment in wireless technologies, and facilitates the efficient use of spectrum by revising a burdensome legacy regulation that unnecessarily constrained 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) licensees.

The Report and Order amends the Commission’s rules to allow geographically-based SMR licensees to operate across contiguous channels without a rigid channel spacing requirement or bandwidth limitation. Lifting the unduly restrictive limitations currently in place will enable licensees to fully and more efficiently utilize their licensed spectrum and transition their networks from legacy 2G technologies to 3G as well as other advanced technologies such as LTE. The Report and Order balances these benefits with the continuing need to protect 800 MHz public safety operations from interference and maintain the significant strides made in the ongoing 800 MHz reconfiguration process, whereby 800 MHz operations are being relocated to protect public safety licensees against interference.