In order to reflect new opportunities for providing broadband service in the 2.5 to 2.7 GHz bands, the FCC in June 2004, among other things, renamed the Multipoint Distribution Service (MDS) in the U.S. to become the Broadband Radio Service (BRS). Also, it renamed the Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS) in the same bands the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) for the same reason. The bands remain known as either MDS or the Multichannel, Multipoint Distribution Service (MMDS) in many other parts of the world. The FCC decision also expanded the original BRS/EBS (aka MDS-ITFS) band by adding to it five megahertz of additional spectrum from the Mobile Satellite Service below 2500 MHz, which increases the total size of the higher band to 194 megahertz. This will provide room for the future relocation of MDS Channels 1 and 2, which are presently located in the 2.1 GHz band.
| WCA Board Operator Leadership |
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| BRS Transition Task Force |
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| Government Relations Committee Liaison |
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| Task Force Leadership |
| BRS/MDS Technical Rules Change Task Force Chairman |
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Paul McCarthy
Director of Licensee Relations, Spectrum Management
Sprint Nextel Corporation |
| About WCA/NIA/CTN's Rules Change Proposal |
As the industry has evolved in the years since the FCC first authorized two-way use of MDS and ITFS spectrum in 1998, it has become increasingly clear that the rules adopted at that time are unduly limiting the licensing and deployment of MDS and ITFS facilities. With the decision by the FCC to add a mobile allocation for MDS and ITFS, the need for significant changes to the MDS and ITFS rules has become even more apparent.
WCA's Government Relations Committee ("GRC") undertook the effort to propose new rules to the FCC. The MDS/ITFS Technical Rules Revision Group was thus established to assist in this endeavor and recommend possible changes in the technical rules. |
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