Steve Coran, Counsel for WISPA, posted this update on WISPA's postion on 5 GHz regulations :
Yesterday, WISPA and other companies and organizations filed the attached letter with the FCC outlining proposed amendments (attached to the letter) to Section 15.407 of the FCC’s rules to mitigate the upcoming loss of device certifications under Section 15.247. As you may recall, last year the FCC eliminated device certifications for the 5725-5850 MHz band under Section 15.247 given apparent concerns about out-of-band emissions that could interfere with Terminal Doppler Weather Radar and (perhaps) other governmental facilities. Devices certified under Section 15.247 have less restrictive out-of-band emission requirements that enable long-range communications that are not feasible under the current iteration of Section 15.407. As of June 2015, devices operating in the 5725-5850 MHz band will no longer be able to be certified under Section 15.247 and after June 2016 no Section 15.247 devices can be placed in operation. Existing equipment will be grandfathered.
Over the past several months, WISPA worked closely with manufacturers, other associations and operators (listed in the attached letter) to develop a consensus plan that will mitigate the potential harm imposed by the more restrictive out-of-band emissions of Section 15.407. The discussions included established and new companies with different technologies and ideas. Through the leadership of Jack Unger, Alex Phillips and Chuck Hogg, the contributions from the other participants, and a fair amount of give-and-take, we achieved the consensus that is encompassed in the attached proposal.
Representatives of the group participants will be meeting with FCC staff this Friday to review the consensus plan and to answer questions. If the FCC reacts favorably, we expect that they will want to socialize this with the NTIA, FAA and Department of Defense. We may also want to meet with these agencies as well as the FCC Commissioners to gain support. We’ll see how the meeting goes and proceed from there.
Jack, Alex and Chuck deserve your appreciation for their perseverance, insight and leadership in building consensus among a disparate group of dedicated engineers and companies. Thanks also to those who contributed to the plan and who will be working together over the next few days and weeks to make the plan a reality.