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WirelessPulse-Comsearch E-News - October 2006

Comsearch's quarterly e-newsletter for professionals in the wireless industry.

Our engineers use the latest technology in the dynamic wireless market and consistently publish up-to-date information through white papers, case studies and informative articles. With the publication of WirelessPulse, we are able to pass along this information to you, our valued clients and prospects.

WirelessPulse features three industry news sections, the first with our "Feature Article" - in-depth analysis on industry trends, "Case Corner" - featuring relevant industry case studies and "Regulatory Rap" - featuring extensive spectrum management news. We have added "What's New at Comsearch! " so that we can keep you informed of what's going on at Comsearch.

In the October 2006 Issue

FEATURE ARTICLE
Industry Update - Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) 1.7 & 2.1 GHz
by David Meyer
Senior Manager, Frequency Protection Services

CASE CORNER
New Structures Meet Telecommunications -
Not Always a Perfect Match
by Lester E. Polisky
Comsearch Senior Principal Engineer

REGULATORY RAP
Spectrum Management News

WHAT'S NEW AT COMSEARCH!

FEATURE ARTICLE

Industry Update - Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) 1.7 & 2.1 GHz
by David Meyer
Senior Manager, Frequency Protection Services

The FCC concluded the AWS Auction (#66) for licenses in the 1710 – 1755 and 2110 – 2155 MHz bands on September 18. The Auction revenue totaled nearly $13.9 billion for 1,087 licenses from 104 licensees. The 2.1 GHz portion of the AWS spectrum is currently occupied by Fixed Microwave and Broadband Radio Service (BRS) systems. Auction winners will now begin the monumental process of planning their system design and determining how and when to relocate the existing microwave and BRS users. As this process starts, it is important for incumbent licensees to understand the FCC’s AWS relocation procedures and use this information to prepare for what lies ahead. This article addresses the relocation issues relevant to fixed microwave licensees in the 2110 – 2150 MHz portion of the AWS band.

Based on Comsearch’s proprietary database, there are approximately 5,700 licensed microwave links in the 2110 – 2150 MHz band. The band plan for the AWS is as follows:

Negotiation Periods
For microwave licensees in the 2110 – 2150 MHz band, the FCC has eliminated the voluntary negotiation period that was instituted during relocation in the 1.9 GHz PCS band. Licensees will enter into a two or three year mandatory “good faith” negotiation period, beginning when they are first contacted by an AWS licensee.. The mandatory negotiation period is two years for non-Public Safety links and three years for Public Safety links (approximately 25% of all links in this band are designated as public safety). During the mandatory negotiation period, an incumbent licensee may not refuse to relocate, and all parties are required to negotiate in good faith. If no agreement is reached during the mandatory period, an AWS licensee may then proceed to an involuntary relocation of the incumbent system.

Cost-Sharing Reimbursement Cap
While there is no set amount associated with how much an AWS licensee must pay for relocating a given microwave link, the FCC has established a reimbursement cap for cost sharing between AWS licensees identical to the one used for PCS. The cost-sharing reimbursement cap is a maximum $250,000 per fixed microwave link with an additional $150,000 if a new or modified tower is required.

Primary vs Secondary Systems
The license status of an incumbent system, whether it is designated as primary or secondary, will determine the AWS relocation requirement. AWS licensees are required to relocate only primary links. Licenses designated as secondary must be relocated at the incumbent microwave licensee’s expense – the AWS licensee will not be negotiating to pay for these links. Secondary paths can continue to operate until it is determined that they will cause potential interference into an AWS licensee’s system. The AWS licensee must provide at least a 30 day notice prior to system launch. This is a short amount of time to coordinate the link in a new band and install a new system. It is also important to note that some links are currently licensed with one end of the link as primary and the other end of the link as secondary. If the transmit frequency licensed on the secondary site falls in the 2110 – 2150 MHz band, the link is not eligible for relocation. If the transmitting frequency is licensed on the primary site in this range, only the primary portion of the link is eligible for relocation. Microwave incumbents need to be aware of the license status on both ends of their links.

Self Relocation
Microwave licensees have the option of self relocating, meaning that they can voluntarily relocate their system and potentially obtain full reimbursement from those AWS licensees benefiting from the self-relocation. In order to be considered for reimbursement, microwave licensees would need to register the link(s) with a cost sharing clearinghouse, such as CTIA, within 30 calendar days of the date that they submit their notice of service discontinuance with the FCC. The reimbursement amount will be capped as referenced above. It is important to note that self-relocated links operating in the 2180-2200 MHz band will only be entitled to a maximum 50% reimbursement. This occurs because that portion of the band is designated for Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) and the FCC did not impose reimbursement obligations on the MSS operators for self-relocating incumbents. Therefore only the 2130 – 2150 MHz portion of the link wil be eligible for reimbursement from an AWS licensee.

Planning
Microwave incumbents should make plans now to determine the best course of action to protect their systems and continue to meet their communication needs. With the large number of paths requiring relocation out of 2 GHz, alternate frequency bands may become rapidly congested in certain areas. Therefore, we recommend the following:

Evaluate Your Current System NOW!
Review all of the 2.1 GHz paths currently licensed to your company. Verify the technical information, license status (primary vs. secondary), and future plans for the path. Set up a tracking process to maintain and update the information on each path.

Review Future Requirements for each Individual Path
Evaluate each path relative to your future communication requirements. Determine whether the link should migrate to another band or move to another communication medium considering system capacity and reliability requirements Special attention should be paid to secondary status licenses since these will need to be moved at the microwave users’ expense with little advance notice.

Define Your Company’s Relocation Approach
When the negotiations start, you should have a basic approach on how you will be dealing with relocation. Some of the options to be considered are:
   -Internally manage the effort – figure this effort into the negotiations
   -Look for a turnkey solution from the AWS Licensee.
   -Hire an outside consultant to act on your behalf.
   -A combination of efforts using both internal and external assets

Be Prepared
The relocation process is set up to allow for an orderly transition of the existing microwave paths to comparable facilities. You need to be aware of your options and plan accordingly to achieve the best possible results for your company.

Comsearch is here to help…

Comsearch can help you evaluate your paths and give you band options and recommendations for your system in order to maintain the reliability and capacity you need.

We have developed a new engineering analysis tool, iQ.clearXG, specifically to evaluate the impact of AWS and microwave systems sharing the same spectrum. We can help you evaluate the potential impact to your system and determine the likelihood of its required relocation.

We’re the recognized leader in microwave frequency engineering and can help you plan your relocation, or simply help you identify your options and associated costs.

For more information regarding 2.1 GHz AWS microwave relocation, please contact your account representative Denise Finney at (703) 726-5650.

CASE CORNER

New Structures Meet Telecommunications -
Not Always a Perfect Match
by Lester E. Polisky
Comsearch Senior Principal Engineer

You may be surprised to know that the building of structures of substantial size and varied use can have a significant affect on (and be affected by) existing telecommunication systems located nearby. Structures such as office buildings, apartment complexes, communication towers, wind turbines, water towers and others have been shown to cause blockage and interference into telecommunications systems And telecommunication systems operating in the vicinity of new structures can have a significant impact on the structures themselves. These effects can occur while the structures are being built and continue after the structure is completed and it takes on its designed function. The effects fall into three broad categories: obstruction or blockage of signal path, electromagnetic interference, and radiation hazards (radhaz).

There are regulations that address these issues but they have to be interpreted carefully and applied wisely. Many zoning boards impose a requirement to obtain approval to build a structure. These requirements state in broad terms that the builder must insure that the new structure will not interfere with existing telecommunication systems serving the area. This may include telephone, mobile and wired service, microwave, broadcast television, broadcast radio, pagers, Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and numerous other wireless services. The use of the word ”interfere” implies the new structure(s) will not obstruct the telecommunication signal path.

These requirements create problems for the builder who has no way of knowing where the various telecommunication systems in the area are located, and does not have the expertise to evaluate whether the structure will interfere or obstruct telecommunication services. This problem also applies to the issue of radhaz. However, these issues are not normally a builder’s problem for most structures unless the facility being built is going to generate electricity, such as a wind energy facility or power plant, or transmit RF energy such as Radar or a broadcast facility.

To address the zoning board issues, the builder usually obtains the expertise of a telecommunication consultant who has databases of all telecommunication systems in the United States and the analytical tools to assist in determining the overall effects to the operation of these systems by the structure before it is built. With the results derived from the analytical tools, the consultant will be able to describe how and why the telecommunication systems would be degraded and identify mitigation steps to overcome the problem.

A frequent example is the planning and construction of wind energy facilities. Wind turbines have the potential of obstructing microwave paths that pass through the proposed wind turbine facility. The wind turbine developer informs the telecommunication consultant where the turbine is to be built. The developer provides the dimensions and blade diameter of the turbine towers. The tower heights are normally 70 – 90 meters and their blade diameters are 75 – 100 meters. The telecommunication consultant prepares a map overlay of the area showing the turbine locations and engineering details of the microwave paths that pass through the planned facility. Using the map overlays, the builder can adjust the turbine layout to minimize obstruction to the microwave paths. This is critical to both commercial and government microwave paths because they are normally designed to 99.999% reliability and provide real-time critical data. Any path obstruction would reduce this reliability significantly.

Other issues faced by wind energy developers involve the affect on broadcast TV, FM, and AM stations. TV and FM signals are subject to attenuation, reflection and multipath caused by the presence of the wind turbine towers and the turbine blades. The motion of the blades is particularly degrading to the reception of the video portion of an analog television signal. The blade motion will modulate the intensity and brightness of the picture, while multipath causes a ghost pattern. The overall affect has been given the descriptive name of video shimmering.

The affect on FM broadcast is not as dramatic, but the range of signal coverage can be reduced in certain azimuths from a station due to the presence of the wind turbines. For AM stations, no degradation in coverage will occur as long as the nearest turbine tower is at a distance of 1 km for a non-directional AM Broadcast antenna and 3 km for a directional AM antenna. If the turbine towers are closer than these distances, they become parasitic re-radiators of the AM signal and alter the coverage of the respective AM antenna pattern. At close range radhaz can be created on the surface of the wind turbine tower. This hazard is known as RF burn, which is caused by the RF currents induced on the tower surface and can cause a person a painful burn if skin comes in contact with the turbine surface. The burn is never directly fatal, but can cause a tower climber to be startled and fall or lose grip and drop a tool that injures or kills someone else.

Although the example we’ve seen has been wind energy structures (i.e., the towers), The same issues apply to all other structures that are being built. If an office building’s construction is going to disrupt a microwave path, the operator of that path should be given advanced notice so that alternative routing of the path can be accomplished before the structure is built. The building developer should find out what telecommunication systems are nearby This is to satisfy the zoning requirements to not interfere with telecommunication operations, and insure the safety of construction crews and personnel who will occupy the building once it is built. The builder should insure that the site is clear of any AM broadcast stations for the reasons discussed earlier. Close by AM stations could be a hazard both to the building construction crews and to the personnel operating the construction cranes.

Radhaz can also be caused by FM and TV broadcast stations, cellular and PCS base stations, pager transmitters, LMR repeaters and Radars that operate near a construction site. FM and TV broadcast stations can transmit powers in access of 100 kW. Their operating frequencies are in a band where humans are most susceptible to RF radiation. The hazard zones from these systems can extend out to 400 feet from the broadcast antenna. Radars are even more powerful and can produce hazard zones greater than those created by broadcast stations, but are less likely to be near a construction site. Cellular and PCS base stations, pager transmitters, and LMR repeaters are capable of producing radhaz levels, but the danger zones are normally less than 25 feet from the transmit antenna. Most microwave point-to-point communication systems will not cause radhaz because they operate at very low transmit powers.

In addition to radhaz, another reason the builder should be cognizant of telecommunication systems in the area has to do with electromagnetic compatibility. If any construction equipment or IT operations at the construction site are susceptible to electromagnetic interference, the builder should be aware of it to avoid construction problems or delays. Conversely, the building contractors need to be cognizant of any potentially harmful electromagnetic interference generated by their activities to surrounding telecommunication systems during the construction process. Substantial interference is possible from broadband emitters such as welding equipment, motors, and power generators. But even more important, the builder should be able to address the issue of whether the electromagnetic environment in the area of the new building is going to create interference to commercial businesses communication and IT systems. This condition might limit the tenant pool.

If telecommunication systems produce field strengths of 1 V/meter or greater, the potential for interference must be considered. For certain office tenants such as medical offices, where EKG and other sensitive medical and diagnostic equipment may be used, even lower field strengths may cause interference problems. Businesses with laboratory functions or other processes that require a quiet electromagnetic environment may find buildings that are built close to broadcast facilities or Radars unsuitable for their occupancy.

Being close to a cellular base station can also be a problem. An example of this occurred in Alabama where the federal government through a private contractor was building an office building within fifty feet of a cellular base station. One of the three sector antennas of the base station was aimed directly at the building. Because of the close proximity of the cellular base station, there were three potential problems that had to be investigated: Radhaz within the windowed offices facing the cellular sector antenna, electromagnetic interference levels throughout the building (but mainly in the office areas closest to the radiating antenna), and the loss of cellular coverage for the mobile telephone company due to the obstruction of its signal in the direction of the building. Unfortunately, this issue was not raised during the planning stage of the building project, but rather after the building was completed and about to be occupied. This created the need for urgent investigations and occupancy delays because of issues that could have been handled more effectively during the planning stages of the building.

In the environment that exists today there are few areas in the country where the building of a significant structure won’t change the operational conditions for telecommunication systems. We recommend that the developers of the structures should retain a telecommunication consultant for advice at the early stages of the construction project and certainly once the location of the project is selected. This action should be part of the checklist all construction managers use in laying out the development plan for the structure project. With the assistance of the telecommunication consultant, all of the issues regarding the construction of the structure and its occupancy and use can be identified, and resolutions plans for telecommunication problems developed before ground is broken.

Another advantage in having the expertise of the telecommunication consultant early in the planning stages is that the new structure(s) can be a utilized as a platform for various telecommunication antennas. The roof top of tall buildings is an excellent vantage point for microwave stations, cellular and PCS base stations, paging antennas, and LMR repeaters. The same is true for water towers or the various towers associated with a wind energy facility. The telecommunication antennas can be installed on the wind energy facilities utility, meteorological and even the wind turbine towers themselves. The telecommunication consultant can identify the opportunities, evaluate the feasibility of the telecommunication function and introduce potential telecommunication tenants to the builder. For office buildings, apartment complexes and medical facilities the telecommunication consultant can also be an invaluable asset in planning the building’s communication infrastructure to insure that both wired and wireless services are available to the tenants when the structure is commissioned and into the future.

REGULATORY RAP
Spectrum Management News

MICROWAVE

Advanced Wireless Spectrum (AWS) Auction Closes - The FCC's first auction of AWS licenses ended on September 18, 2006. 104 bidders won 1,087 licenses with a total bid amount just below $13.9 billion. DOC-267467A1.pdf

Unlicensed Devices in the TV Broadcast Bands – Proceeding schedule set. (DA No 06-1813, Dkt No 04-186) DA-06-1813A1.pdf

1.4 GHz Band Auction - Comment sought on the 1.4 GHz Auction involving the paired 1392 - 1395 and 1432-1435 MHz bands, and the unpaired 1390-1392 MHz band (DA No 06-1016, Dkt No 06-104) DA-06-1016A1.pdf

2 GHz CARs Stations - Clarity Media Systems, LLC seeks waiver requests to operate CARs stations at Flying J Travel Plazas (DA No 06-1664) DA-06-1664A1.pdf

Upper 700 MHz Guard Band - NPRM seeks comment on possible changes to the rules governing the licensees in the Guard Band portions of the 700 MHz spectrum band. (Dkt No 96-86, 06-169, FCC No. 06-133) DOC-267286A1.pdf FCC-06-133A1.pdf FCC-06-133A2.pdf FCC-06-133A3.pdf FCC-06-133A4.pdf

700 MHz Spectrum Band - Comments requested on changes to the rules governing wireless licenses in the 698-746, 747-762, and 777-792 MHz spectrum bands. (Dkt No 94-102, 01-309) DOC-266772A1.pdf DOC-266772A2.pdf DOC-266772A3.pdf DOC-266772A4.pdf DOC-266772A5.pdf DOC-266772A6.pdf

Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL) - The Commission affirmed its rules for Access BPL Systems. (Dkt No 03-104, 04-37) DOC-266773A1.pdf DOC-266773A2.pdf DOC-266773A3.pdf DOC-266773A4.pdf DOC-266773A5.pdf

Maritime Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) – Rules adopted regarding spectrum for maritime AIS. Comments sought on proposed rules regarding additional AIS issues. (Dkt No 92-257, RM-10821, FCC No 06-108) FCC-06-108A1.pdf

Stolen Vehicle Recovery Systems - Comments sought on proposed changes to rule section 90.20(E)(6) governing stolen vehicle recovery systems. (Dkt No 06-142, FCC No. 06-107) FCC-06-107A1.pdf

Medical Radio Communication Devices - Proceeding initiated for a new service for advanced medical radio communication "MedRadio") devices in the 401-406 MHz band. (Dkt No 03-92, 05-213, FCC No 06-103) DOC-266397A1.pdf DOC-266397A2.pdf DOC-266397A3.pdf DOC-266397A4.pdf DOC-266397A5.pdf FCC-06-103A1.pdf FCC-06-103A2.pdf FCC-06-103A3.pdf FCC-06-103A4.pdf FCC-06-103A5.pdf

National Information Infrastructure Devices - Rules clarified for unlicensed devices in the 5.25-5.35 and 5.47-5.725 GHz bands, including Radio Local Area Networks. (Dkt No 03-122, FCC No 06-96)

SATELLITE

FCC Proposes Rules for New Broadcasting Satellite Service
The FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on licensing and service rules for satellites authorized to provide service to the United States in the 17/24 GHz Broadcasting Satellite Service (BSS). The 17/24 GHz BSS satellites will downlink domestically in the 17.3-17.7 GHz frequency band and uplink in the 24.75-25.25 GHz frequency band. The FCC indicates that the 17/24 GHz BSS service holds the potential of bringing a new generation of innovative satellite services to American consumers – providing a mix of video, audio, data and multimedia services to residential and business subscribers.

The NPRM seeks comment on proposals related to operations in the 17/24 GHz BSS band, including: (1) the appropriate method for processing applications; (2) license terms, replacement satellites, access to the U.S. market from non-U.S. satellites, and milestone requirements; (3) public service obligations, geographic service and emergency alert system (EAS) requirements; (4) use of spectrum allocated internationally, but not domestically, by receiving earth stations located outside the United States; (5) orbital spacing and antenna performance standards; (6) inter- and intra-service sharing; and (7) other technical requirements, such as reverse band operations.

Action by the Commission June 21, 2006, by Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 06-90).

Boeing Ends Connexion
Boeing Co. announced Aug 17 it will close its Connexion satellite Internet unit for aircraft. Boeing has not set a date for the end of the service and "will work with its customers to facilitate an orderly phase out." The majority of Connexion employees are expected to find other jobs within the company, Boeing said.

DirecTV, Echostar Drop Out Of Spectrum Auction
After placing the largest deposit among the 168 qualified bidders and leading after the early rounds, DirecTV Group Inc. and Echostar Communications Corp. have dropped out of an auction of wireless spectrum being conducted by the U.S. Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

The companies, which combined their efforts under the joint venture Wireless DBS LLC, failed to submit a bid for the 18th round of the auction Aug. 16, according to data on the FCC web site.

Amendent of FCC Rules Regarding Dedicated Short-Range Communication Services in the 5.850-5.925 GHz Band
Amendment of Part 2 of the Commission’s rules to allocate the 5.850-5.925 GHZ band to the mobile service. Granted in part, and denied in part petitions for reconsideration filed respectively by the 3M Company, ARINC Incorporated, et al. Amended Parts 90 and 95 of the Commission's Rules. (Dkt No. 98-95, 01-90). Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 07/20/2006 by MO&O. (FCC No. 06-110). WTB (http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-110A1.doc)

What's New at Comsearch!

Comsearch Offers Incumbent Relocation Services to Assist Winners of FCC's AWS Auction
Comsearch has introduced a turnkey set of services that will assist winners in the Federal Communications Commission's advanced wireless spectrum (AWS) auctions with deploying new services in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Comsearch's incumbent relocation solutions are tailored to address the FCC's requirements for those acquiring 1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz spectrum, specifically the need to address interference with existing federal government and commercial systems in those radio bands. Comsearch uses its iQ.clearXG™ software to identify channels that can be shared without causing interference to 1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz incumbents. In instances where spectrum sharing is not an option, Comsearch will facilitate relocating an incumbent to a different band through negotiation and project management. View press release for more information.

Comsearch Announces iQ·link 2006 User Conference
Comsearch and Cosmote welcome the users of iQ·link to the 7th Annual iQ·link User Conference in Athens, Greece. This conference offers our valued customers the opportunity to discuss common interests related to microwave planning, regulatory issues and the latest iQ·link features. The conference will take place on Thursday and Friday, 30 November - 1 December at the Saint George Lycabettus Hotel in Athens.

Comsearch Contracted By CTIA Cost-sharing Clearinghouse
Comsearch has been contracted by CTIA, designated FCC Cost-sharing Clearinghouse for post AWS-auction relocations, to handle the day-to-day operations of relocation and cost-sharing for wireless licensees as a result of the 2006 Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) auction. Visit http://www.ctia.org/news_media/press/body.cfm?record_id=1650 for more information.