Enterprise Wireless Alliance, Pacific DataVision Seek FCC Rulemaking to Realign Part 90 Land Mobile Radio 900 MHz Band

The Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA) and Pacific DataVision said Tuesday that they had submitted a joint petition to the FCC Monday that proposes a rulemaking that would realign the Part 90 land mobile radio 900 MHz band. The realignment would introduce “advanced broadband technology” to the private enterprise user community that would result in spectrum allocations “capable of serving the long-expressed needs of utilities, energy companies, transportation providers” and others, EWA and Pacific DataVision said. “When employee safety and property are threatened, our nation's critical infrastructure providers cannot afford to lose communications,” said EWA President Mark Crosby in a news release. “Unfortunately, that happens all too often when a crisis prompts capacity issues on commercial wireless networks.” It has become “increasingly difficult for the FCC to identify 'greenfield' spectrum to meet important new requirements of its enterprise constituents,” said Pacific DataVision Vice Chairman Morgan O’Brien in the news release. “Realignments and repurposing of existing allocations are today's only practical way of addressing these needs.”