RoW Update

Telus Mobility wants ESMR spectrum treated differently under spectrum cap rulesTelus Mobility wants Industry Canada to change the way it calculates spectrum aggregation limits. The company has filed an application with the department asking it to either remove ESMR spectrum holdings from spectrum cap calculations or artificially cap a company’s entire holdings at 10 MHz. Industry Canada has now launched a public consultation on what may turn out to be a highly contentious issue. More details.Public safety, C-band and licence-exempt spectrum top list of issues in 3-30 GHz spectrum reviewA myriad of issues has emerged in Industry Canada’s public consultation on the modification of certain rules for spectrum in the 3-30 GHz frequency range. The need to harmonize the 4940-4990 MHz band with that of the United States was a hotly discussed topic. Canadian satellite interests want the C-band spectrum for themselves and are no longer interested in sharing it with terrestrial fixed services. Additionally, the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance wants more licence-exempt spectrum in the 5 GHz range. Comments can be viewed on the Industry Canada web site. More details. Wi-LAN gets major product push through an agreement with Motorola Calgary-based Wi-LAN Inc. will likely get a major product boost from a recently signed purchase and licensing agreement with Motorola Inc.’s commercial, government and industrial solutions sector (CGISS). The agreement calls for Motorola to purchase or license Wi-LAN’s equipment, which will then be sold through its distribution channels. "This agreement greatly increases the sale potential of Wi-LAN," company chair, president and CEO Hatim Zaghloul said in a news release. Products included in the deal are the BWS 3000 series, the AWE 120-58 and 120-24, the VIP 110-24 and bases station antennas from the Til-Tek Antennas division. More details. Industry Canada releases new radio equipment certification procedureIndustry Canada has released an updated version of Radio Standards Procedure 100 (RSP-100), Radio Equipment Certification Procedure. The modifications followed a public consultation that was undertaken earlier this year (RoW Update, Feb. 11/02). More details. IEEE meeting in Calgary this weekThe Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is meeting this week in Calgary to finalize aspects of an emerging wireless communications standard, 802.16a. The IEEE’s Standards Association’s 802.16 Working Group is working to finalize the universal standard for fixed broadband wireless access systems operating in the 2-11 GHz frequency ranges. The standard, for which the specs were released only recently, was designed for systems operating above the 11 GHz range, but will help in optimizing the output of systems operating below that band. More details. INTERNATIONAL NEWS FCC allows greater flexibility in wireless LAN networksThe Federal Communications Commission has modified a contentious rule that limited the kinds of technology that could be used in spectrum systems operating in the licence-exempt 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz, and 5725-5850 MHz bands. The change to Part 15 also provides increased flexibility in the design and operation of the frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) systems in the 2400 MHz band. Under the new rules, there is also increased flexibility for equipment manufacturers when developing and marketing their products. More details. House, Senate schedule spectrum, broadband hearingsThe House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet has scheduled a hearing for June 4 to discuss the Federal Communications Commission’s ultra-wideband proceeding and the government’s spectrum management process. Representative Bill Tauzin (R-LA), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, directed subcommittee chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) to "review spectrum issues."On the Senate side, the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing to discuss local broadband competition on May 22. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has been working on a broadband bill, but it is unknown whether or not the legislation will be ready by the date of the hearing. U.S. carriers introduce flat-rate wireless digital billingVerizon Wireless has introduced flat-rate billing for wireless data, marking the second U.S. carrier to make such a move. Last week, Nextel Communications Inc. offered up an "all-you-can-eat" package. Some analysts believe that wireless data will only succeed with the advent of flat-rate billing schemes. Here in Canada, Bell Mobility is offering – on a six-month trial basis – unlimited wireless data for $49.95. Bell’s rationale is to first gain a better understanding of wireless data usage and then price the services accordingly (RoW, April 16/01).

RoW Update

News | May 21, 2002

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CRTC rules against Iristel in Northwestel dispute

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