FCC Extends Wireless Innovation and Investment Comment Period

By Doug Lung
published

The FCC has granted a request from The Wireless Association (CTIA) and Public Knowledge groups to extend the reply comment period in the Wireless Innovation and Investment Notice of Inquiry GN Docket 09-51 [PDF] by 21-days. The commission agreed, on the condition that the “requested limited extension would be beneficial to the development of a complete record on the issues and that granting the extension of time requested by CTIA and Public Knowledge therefore serves the public interest.”

The FCC also released a draft of the report Next Generation Connectivity: A review of broadband Internet transitions and policy from around the world [PDF] from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. The commission issued Public Notice (DA 09-2217) [PDF] requesting comment on the study. The study mentions mobile DTV broadcasting activity in both Japan and Korea.

Broadcasters should pay attention to this proceeding, as the spectrum currently used for broadcast auxiliary services (2 GHz ENG bands, for example) and even TV broadcast spectrum could be targeted for wireless broadband. See the link to the Wall Street Journal article in this week's RF Shorts.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.