Remember the battle a few years ago between MSTV (the Association for Maximum Service Television, now part of NAB) and UltraVision Security Systems, which had planned to use a wide range of frequencies—including some in the UHF television band—for an ultra-wideband (UWB) surveillance network?
On Nov. 18, 2008, the FCC granted UltraVision a waiver allowing use of their system in the 80 MHz to 600 MHz band, and to allow them to market up to 350 installations of its UltraSensor system over a two-year period to any entity eligible for licensing under Part 90 of the FCC rules. There were specific requirements protecting authorized spectrum users from interference, including coordination.
MSTV filed a petition for reconsideration of the waiver on Dec. 18, 2008. On Nov. 2, 2010, UltraVision filed a request for a renewal of the expiring waiver, stating that development of the UltraSensor technology was interrupted before completion because shortly after the release of the waiver Order, the company that provided funding to UltraVision underwent a change of management and the incoming group stopped funding for UltraVision.
The renewal request said that while UltraVision still exists, it is not currently active and does not have a fixed timetable for releasing the UltraSensor system. A one-year waiver extension was requested to keep open the option of continued development and eventual production.
The FCC denied the renewal request and dismissed the MSTV petition for reconsideration as moot, stating, “We find that it is not in the public interest to renew a waiver extension to a company that is no longer active for a product for which it admits it has no development and deployment plans. We find the public interest would be better served if UltraVision requests a new waiver if its circumstances change and it decides to continue developing the UltraSensor technology.”
The Commission noted that as the UltraVision waiver was no longer valid, its petition for reconsideration of the original waiver didn’t justify any action.
