Conformity Magazine - June 2008 - (Page 10)

NewsBreaks 700 MHz Auction Raises a Record $20 Billion The long-anticipated auction by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for portions of the electromagnetic spectrum for advanced wireless devices resulted in bids totaling nearly $20 billion, a record for an FCC spectrum auction. The so-called 700 MHz Auction, which lasted for 261 separate rounds of bidding, resulted in the awarding of 1090 separate wireless licenses for a total of $19.592 billion, nearly twice the amount anticipated in advance of the auction. FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin touted the auction results as a major win for new wireless provider entrants and small businesses both nationwide and in rural markets. In a press release issued by the Commission, Martin noted that bidders other than a nationwide incumbent won licenses in every market, providing the potential for an additional wireless “third-pipe” in every market, and that 69% of the licenses auctioned were awarded to a bidder other than a nationwide incumbent. However, aside from the financial tally, the auction wasn’t an unqualified success for the Commission. A portion of the spectrum to be auctioned that was earmarked to be shared between a winning bidder and public safety users (labeled as D Block) attracted only a single bid and failed to sell. (In a decision issued following the close of the auction, the Commission decided to delay further efforts to auction the D Block, pending further study.) In addition, the C Block, which will require licensees to open their network to devices and/or software sold by any manufacturer, received only slightly above the $4.6 billion reserve set by the Commission. The Commission says that the switch to the PSD model is more “technologically neutral” in accommodating broadband technologies, and has the potential to reduce network infrastructure costs, thereby making it more economical for providers to deploy advanced wireless broadband services in rural areas. Further, under the new rules, power levels can now be measured using average values, instead of peak values, with a peak-to-average ratio limit of 13 dB. The Commission says that this approach is a more practical way of measuring power levels, and will better accommodate technologies that produce emissions with sub-microsecond power spikes. FCC Modifies PCS and AWS Power Limit Rules for Broadband Wireless The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has modified the rules for measuring emissions and power limits for broadband Personal Communications Services (PCS) and Advanced Wireless Services (AWS). Specifically, the Commission will now allow the use of a power spectral density (PSD) model in the evaluation of PCS and AWS devices. In the PSD model, radiated power levels are measured in terms of watts-per-megahertz when operating with greater than one megahertz of bandwidth. Formerly, FCC rules measured radiated power in terms of watts per emission, and limited power output regardless of bandwidth size. Commission Designates Spectrum Test Bed Five years after calls for an examination of United States spectrum management policy, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finally assigned a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for testing new technologies. The new Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed will occupy about 10 MHz of spectrum in the 470-512 MHz frequency band, which contains television broadcast systems and land mobile radio systems. The Commission says that this band will allow for the evaluation of adaptive radio equipment in the DiLBErt: © Scott Adams/Dist. by United feature Syndicate, inc. reprinted with permission. 10 Conformity JUnE 2008

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Conformity - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note 700 MHz Auction Raises a Record $20 Billion FCC Modifies PCS and AWS Power Limit Rules for Broadband Wireless Commission Designates Spectrum Test Bed FCC Releases Report on Wireless Competition Commission Proposes $5 Million Fine for Slamming Using EDX for Non-Destructive Detection of Lead in Consumer Products ESD Open Forum Challenges in Testing - Improving Election Security and Accuracy Part 1 Challenges in Testing - Human Body Model: The Hidden Challenges High-Speed Signal Integrity Considerations for ESD Components Focus On...EMC Components Buyer's Guide FCC Levies $2.6 Million Fine for Junk Faxes FDA Updates Guidance on its Product Review Process EU Issues Updated Energy Star Regulations EU Repeals Directive on Veterinary Electro-Medical Equipment New Product Announcements Updated Standards List for the EU's PPE Directive CPSC Announces New Effort to Keep Out Hazardous Products CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update UL Standards Update Product Reviews Telcordia Standards Update From Our "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity - June 2008

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