By News Staff, Government Technology
There are a number of public safety spectrum planning meetings coming up in June and July. These meetings will provide updates on both the 700 MHz and 800MHz bands of the spectrum. Meetings are scheduled for the Nevada, Oregon, West and Central Texas, Kentucky, Southern Lake Michigan and the New York City Metro Region.
The Nevada Planning Committee will hold a meeting on May 31, 2005 at 9 A.M. at the Clark County Fire Department’s Training Center to discuss allocation of 700MHz spectrum. A discussion of 800MHz spectrum allocation will follow. The training center is located at 4425 West Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Oregon 700 MHz Public Safety Planning Committee will hold its next planning meeting on Thursday, June 23, 2005, at 10:30 A.M. at the Washington County Consolidated Communications Agency, located at 17911 NW Evergreen Parkway, Beaverton, Oregon.
The West and Central Texas 700 MHz Public Safety Planning Committee will hold its next meeting on July 20, 2005 at 1 P.M. at the Midland Office of the Texas Department of Public Safety, 2405 South Loop 250 West, Midland, Texas.
The Kentucky Regional Planning Committees will hold two planning meetings on Monday, June 20, 2005, at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office Building Conference Center located on Mero Street, Frankfort, Kentucky. The Region 17 800 MHz Public Safety Regional Planning Committee meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. The 700 MHz Public Safety Regional Planning Committee will be at 10:30 a.m. In addition, the Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee (KWEIC) will conduct its quarterly meeting from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The 700- and 800 MHz Southern Lake Michigan Public Safety Regional Planning Committees will be holding planning meetings on Monday, June 20, 2005 at 10 A.M. and 1 P.M. respectively. The purpose of the first meeting is to finalize the region’s 700 MHz draft plan. The purpose of the second meeting, scheduled at 1 P.M., is to hold an 800 MHz rebranding question and answer period with representatives from Nextel Communications.
The Region 8 (New York -- Metropolitan area) Public Safety Regional Planning Committees will hold two planning meetings on June 21, 2005. The Region 8 700 MHz Regional Planning Committee meeting will convene at 10:00 a.m. at 2 Broadway 20th Floor, New York, New York. The agenda for this meeting includes review of New York State and New Jersey SIEC Reports addressing interoperability of communications, and reports on working group activities from the 4.9 GHz working group and the 700 MHz working group.
Immediately following the adjournment of the 700 MHz Regional Planning Committee meeting, there will be an 800 MHz NPSPAC Regional Planning Committee meeting.
In addition to these meetings, the Federal Communications Commission announced a spectrum auction to be held on July 20, 2005. The spectrum being auctioned is the C block (710-716/740-746 MHz) of the Lower 700 MHz band.
Revised instructions for uploading ownership data in a text file for participation in the auction is available here. Applicants should not use the instructions that are attached to the Auction No. 60 Procedures Public Notice (1).
Important Dates Related to the Auction
- Short-Form (FCC Form 175) Filing Window Opens -- May 24, 2005
- Short-Form (FCC Form 175)
- Application Deadline -- June 3, 2005; 6:00 P.M. ET
- Upfront Payments (via wire transfer) -- June 30, 2005; 6:00 P.M. ET
- Mock Auction -- July 18, 2005
For any questions regarding the instructions for uploading ownership data, please contact the FCC Auctions Technical Support Hotline at (877) 480-3201, option nine; (202) 414-1250; or (202) 414-1255 (TTY). The FCC Auctions Technical Support Hotline hours of service are 8:00 A.M. -- 6:00 P.M. ET, Monday through Friday.
(1) See “Auction of Lower 700 MHz Band Licenses Scheduled for July 20, 2005; Notice and Filing Requirements, Minimum Opening Bids, Upfront Payments and Other Auction Procedures,” Public Notice, 20 FCC Rcd 6120 (2005) (“Auction No. 60 Procedures Public Notice”).
More information related to regional public safety planning meetings is available at http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz/