Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
Community Teleplay, Inc. (Applicant) respectfully requests Special Temporary Authority (STA) to conduct tests in connection with its current experimental authority (WA2XSU) involving mobile remote transceiver units (RTUs) operating in the 218.5-219 MHz band. The current experimental authority permits tests of mobile RTUs at powers of up to 1 watt. By this application, Applicant requests limited authority to test mobile RTUs at powers of up to 4 watts on an STA basis.
Expeditious processing of this submission is respectfully requested so that the STA is granted on or before December 28, so that the experimental testing can begin on December 29. Applicant is deploying a wireless data network in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach metropolitan statistical area under the authority of its permanent license in the 218-219 MHz service (Station KIVDS0054, Frequency Segment B: 218.5-219 MHz). Applicant is developing an automatic vehicle location (AVL) service over this network with a user having an important need to track vehicles in its fleet. The user's vehicles are equipped with mobile RTUs that transmit over 218.5-219 MHz to a Cell Transceiver Stations (CTS) which relays the vehicles' locations to the user's office for viewing on a computerized map display. On October 15, 1998, Applicant was granted experimental authority (WA2XSU) to test mobile RTUs at powers up to 1 watt ERP, without a duty cycle (File No. 6192-EX-PL-1998). Initial test results indicated that 1 watt mobile RTUs cause no increase in harmful interference to other spectrum users. However, Applicant believes that the network, to fully serve the user's urgent requirements for a reliable AVL service, should operate with mobile RTUs transmitting at up to 4 watts ERP. Enhancements to the CTS equipment are scheduled for delivery and deployment on December 29 at which time Applicant would like to test 4 watt mobile RTUs to determine whether the system can satisfy the user's requirements for an AVL, a service it needs as soon as possible. For these reasons, Applicant requests expeditious processing of this submission by December 28.
Applicant believes there is little potential for any harmful interference from testing mobile RTUs operating at 4 watts in the 218.5-219 MHz given that: (a) fixed RTUs operating at 4 watts are already permitted in the City Grade contour of television channel 13 under Applicant's permanent license; and (b) licensees of Automated Maritime Telecommunications Systems (ATMS) in the 216-219 MHz band are authorized to operate mobile units transmitting at 18 watts ERP. See Section 80.215(i) of the Commission's Rules. The other restrictions on the program of testing 4 watt mobile RTUs (as described below) should further ensure that no interference is caused.
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