Sprint to 800SMR guard band speculators: we can't buy the spectrum

[bigsnake49]

I guess that there a lot of people buying guard band licenses with the intent of selling it back to Sprint which probably just vacated anyway. Sprint is prohibited from owning any spectrum between 851 and 862MHz. I know that Neal was intimating that Sprint would be allowed to buy guard and expansion band spectrum, so this contradicts his assertion:

 

http://urgentcomm.com/spectrumfrequency-coordination/fair-warning-sprint-we-can-t-buy-800-mhz-spectrum-we-just-returned-fc

 

So is Neal wrong?

[gnoj]

I was also under the impression that the Expansion Band (816-817/861-862 MHz after it replaces the current Guard Band) would be available for Sprint (possibly even default to them) if vacated by all other eligible licensees by a certain date. It doesn't make sense for it to just sit there unused.

 

That said, these spectrum squatters are idiots, and it's great to see them get a bit of comeuppance.

[Joski1624]

Good, I hope they choke on their spectrum. Somehow the FCC has to clamp down on these squatters. Technically, nobody "owns" spectrum. I consider the permission (license) to utilize any RF spectrum as a privilege granted by the FCC, and anyone caught using it solely for monetary gain, and not for the the public interest in any form, should not only have their license revoked, but should be barred from future spectrum holdings.

[CaryTheLabelGuy]

Good, I hope they choke on their spectrum. Somehow the FCC has to clamp down on these squatters. Technically, nobody "owns" spectrum. I consider the permission (license) to utilize any RF spectrum as a privilege granted by the FCC, and anyone caught using it solely for monetary gain, and not for the the public interest in any form, should not only have their license revoked, but should be barred from future spectrum holdings.

That's too common sense. This is the government we're talking about here.

 

 

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[S4GRU]

I'm looking forward to watching these spectrum squatters choke on these licenses. They are practically worthless. They can pretty much only be used by narrowband transmissions. There will only be some small local two way radio companies that will be interested, or possibly some corporate enterprise two way radio systems that can even use it. So that pretty much makes the spectrum worth, at best, what the speculators paid for it. At worst, they may never be able to sell it.

[hercules rockefeller]

Good, I hope they choke on their spectrum. Somehow the FCC has to clamp down on these squatters. Technically, nobody "owns" spectrum. I consider the permission (license) to utilize any RF spectrum as a privilege granted by the FCC, and anyone caught using it solely for monetary gain, and not for the the public interest in any form, should not only have their license revoked, but should be barred from future spectrum holdings.

I wholeheartedly agree with you here. the only comment I'd make is that the privilege granted in a spectrum license comes from the people, not the FCC. I realize that I'm getting on a soapbox here, but I feel it's important to emphasize that spectrum is a national resource just like our air, water, minerals, etc. We all own it, and we have every right to insist that it's used for our collective benefit first and foremost. I don't have any sympathy for a spectrum holder who's not using that spectrum in good faith.

[ericdabbs]

I wish the FCC would clamp down on licensees who miss their build out dates or have no intention of ever building out infrastructure to use that spectrum should not only have their spectrum licenses revoked immediately, pay a tremendous fine that is at least 3x what they paid for the spectrum and be barred from participating in future spectrum auctions.  Yes I know this sounds a bit extreme but I am tired of seeing spectrum hoarders.  Yes I am looking at you Dish Network!!!! 

[Conan Kudo]

I was also under the impression that the Expansion Band (816-817/861-862 MHz after it replaces the current Guard Band) would be available for Sprint (possibly even default to them) if vacated by all other eligible licensees by a certain date. It doesn't make sense for it to just sit there unused.

 

That said, these spectrum squatters are idiots, and it's great to see them get a bit of comeuppance.

The squatters ruined it. Now there's no way for Sprint to gain those frequencies. If there were no squatters and the frequencies remained bare, Sprint could have reasonably asked for the condition that was imposed on it to be waived so that the spectrum could be put to use for its ESMR cellular system.

 

The squatters can choke on their licenses for not reading the fine print and screwing it up for the rest of us. Now we have to wait for the FCC to throw down the banhammer on these idiots first and revoke their licenses before any such reasonable accommodation could be made for Sprint to gain those frequencies.

[Nickel]

The squatters ruined it. Now there's no way for Sprint to gain those frequencies. If there were no squatters and the frequencies remained bare, Sprint could have reasonably asked for the condition that was imposed on it to be waived so that the spectrum could be put to use for its ESMR cellular system.

So what will happen to the expansion band now? just sit there empty forever?

[Conan Kudo]

So what will happen to the expansion band now? just sit there empty forever?

Probably, but who knows? Something could change in the next few years that resolves all this nicely. I wouldn't count on it, though.

[Nickel]

Probably, but who knows? Something could change in the next few years that resolves all this nicely. I wouldn't count on it, though.

Oh I don't count on the FCC/spectrum holders to have anything go nicely.

[bigsnake49]

It's total freaking mess. The 800SMR rebanding was handled extremely bad by both Sprint and the FCC. They let PS get away with murder (OK maybe not murder  ). All of this while there is another adjacent 700MHz PS voice band which is adjacent to  the 700MHz PS broadband. Please tell me that PS needs a 10x10MHz voice band! Grrrrr.....

Edited October 26, 2014 by bigsnake49

[Hypeo]

I work for PS, and I can tell you that the recession hit us hard, just like the rest of the country, no money to move any radio communications away from 800. It us slowly getting better and I can speak for at least our city, we are getting the gears moving again to switch to 700 in the near future.

[S4GRU]

That's the thing though. Sprint paid the public safety agencies to move. They paid for everything. But only what was agreed to up front. So if PS took too long and equipment prices escalated, it was on them to pay the difference. Or if they changed their mind on equipment type after the fact, the costs were on them.

 

But if they kept moving the goalposts, that should have been on them too. But the FCC has bent over backwards as they kept changing/delaying crap.

 

If they would have made up their mind to begin with, Sprint would have paid their entire bill. And even if they wanted to change their mind, the FCC should have said no. Move to your new frequencies at Sprint's expense. And then change whatever equipment you want after the move. They shouldn't be allowed to delay moves for years because of poor management and oversight.

[bigsnake49]

I work for PS, and I can tell you that the recession hit us hard, just like the rest of the country, no money to move any radio communications away from 800. It us slowly getting better and I can speak for at least our city, we are getting the gears moving again to switch to 700 in the near future.

 

All of PS should move to 700MHz. Actually all of public safety should move to the 450-470MHz but that's another discussion for another day. Anyway, PS has way too many frequency bands occupied: VHF, 450MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz. Just consolidate on one contiguous band and be done with it. The 700MHz PS band should be it. 

[kg4icg]

Don't forget who else is in the 700mhz band along with PS, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile

[joshnys8913]

All of PS should move to 700MHz. Actually all of public safety should move to the 450-470MHz but that's another discussion for another day. Anyway, PS has way too many frequency bands occupied: VHF, 450MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz. Just consolidate on one contiguous band and be done with it. The 700MHz PS band should be it. 

Thats the FCC/Government for you, they use what they want to use.... Proven fact!! LOL!!!!!!!!