More Groups Support Drone Rulemaking

Electric utilities, public safety and aviation companies support Aura Network Systems and A2G Communications' request for a rulemaking on expanding use of air-ground radiotelephone service (Agras) channels between 454.675-454.975 MHz and 459.675-459.975 MHz for voice and data communications, including by drones (see 2109230049). Comments were posted Friday in RM-11912. “Availability and use of spectrum” is “an important factor” in utilities’ use of drones: the Edison Electric Institute said. Agras “propagation characteristics, bandwidth, and lack of other incumbents makes it well suited for command and control and nonpayload communications at low altitudes and a cost-effective nationwide coverage,” EEI said. “It’s understandable that much of the FCC’s attention is focused on spectrum bands with the ability to deliver broadband capabilities to consumers,” the Enterprise Wireless Alliance commented: “EWA encourages the Commission also to devote appropriate resources to proceedings such as this that promise to retool an historically underutilized band.” The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council and the Aerospace Industries Association also urged a rulemaking. Aura and A2G urge action in a Friday filing not yet posted by our deadline. “Significant market demand exists for the modern data services that can be supported on AURA’s network,” they said: “While the bandwidth limitations in the 450 MHz AGRAS band make the spectrum unsuited for commercial broadband data services" it's "ideal for serving aviation subscribers with sound and data.”