Saturday, July 14, 2007

FCC Releases Post-Katrina Order

From the The ARRL Letter Vol. 26, No. 28 July 13, 2007

==> FCC Releases Post-Katrina Order, "Final Rule"

On July 11, the FCC released their Order regarding the recommendations of the independent panel reviewing the impact of Hurricane Katrina on communications networks (the Katrina panel). It contained their conclusions following a review of the comments filed in response to the FCC's Notice of proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The Commission asked for comments a week after the release of the report and recommendations of the Katrina Panel and directed the Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) to implement several of the recommendations. The FCC also adopted rules requiring some communications providers to have emergency/back-up power and to conduct analyses and submit reports on the redundancy and resiliency of their 911 and E911 networks. The FCC's actions are to go into effect August 10.

The Commission noted that "the amateur radio community played an important role in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters," and instructed the PSHSB to "include the amateur radio community in its outreach efforts."

The FCC invited comments on the Katrina Panel's recommendation that the FCC "act to enhance the public safety community's awareness of non-traditional emergency alternative technologies that might be of value as back-up communications systems in a crisis." Several commenters suggested that the public safety community be educated about the applicability of Amateur Radio in a crisis. The FCC agreed with these comments, saying that improving the public safety community's knowledge of, and training in, alternative technologies would improve preparedness for future crises. They directed the PSHSB to "develop and implement an awareness program to educate public safety agencies about alternative technologies and to encourage agencies to provide regular training on any alternative technologies to be used," including educating public safety agencies about alternative technologies.

The recommendations said that several Amateur Radio operators recommended changes to Part 97 of the FCC's rules; Part 97 is the section that covers Amateur Radio. Many of the suggestions, the report said, have already been implemented, and as such, require no further action. For example, "the Commission recently eliminated Morse Code proficiency as a license qualification requirement, an action supported by several commenters in this proceeding."

The FCC once again made clear that Part 97 "does not prohibit Amateur Radio operators who are emergency personnel engaged in disaster relief from using their amateur radio bands while in a paid duty status." This changed this past December in WT Docket 04-140, the "Omnibus" Amateur Radio Report and Order (R&O).

The Commission also previously decided to phase out RACES stationlicenses, "making proposed changes to rules relevant to these licenses moot." ARRL Regulatory Information Specialist Dan Henderson, N1ND, notes that the FCC "is not phasing out the RACES program, just the RACES station licenses."

In his comments to the Katrina Panel, W. Lee McVey requested that the FCC initiate a rulemaking to create a new radio service in the 148-150 MHz band "to facilitate interoperability between different first responders during and following a national emergency." The FCC noted that the 148-149.9 MHz band is allocated on a primary basis for the federal mixed, mobile and mobile satellite (Earth-to-space) zervice, and the 149-150.05 MHz segment is allocated on a co-primary basis for federal and non-federal mobile satellite (Earth-to-space) and radio navigation.

The FCC's report said "[This] petition does not address this use nor does it explain what rules would be necessary to govern access to this spectrum. Given the potential impact of McVey's proposal to spectrum allocated for federal use, we direct PSHSB, together with the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), to seek feedback from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on this petition."

The FCC said that when it receives the feedback, they will direct PSHSB and OET to make a determination on the appropriate action to be taken on McVey's petition.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home