Meeting Minutes for June 12, 2007

Web Page: www.wwcic.org

Information Line Phone Number: 425-820-6271

Dates for WWCIC meetings for 2007   Meetings will be held on the 2nd Tuesday like always, with no meeting in August and June joint meeting with our Canadian counterparts.  The current location for regular meetings is the Washington State Patrol Office in Bellevue.

Business Reports

Chairman’s opening comments: Chairman George Bisso called the meeting to order at 9:35 am. Introductions were made around the tables.  Attendance today: 11.

Adoption of draft minutes of last meeting: Meeting minutes for May’s meeting were approved as drafted.

Secretary-Treasurer Finance and Correspondence Reports: No activity. Checking balance $430.14, saving interest income $.78, savings balance $2877.82.

Committee Reports

Technical Committee Report:  Suggestions for technical presentations at meetings are always welcome. BPL was suggested as a future topic for a presentation. (OPEN)

Web Site Report:  Alan reported via email that the site is running well. (OPEN)

FCC Report: After a long career Mike Rothe of the Seattle office is retiring.   The Commission has limited field office personnel to only mandatory travel. Meetings such as the WWCIC are considered non-mandatory. The field offices are filling there comments to educate upper management on the negative aspects of this policy and the benefits of being more present in the field. (Open)

Old Business

BPL Issues: The ARRL and others are suggesting that the FCC move BPL carriers to 30-50MHz. This idea seems to be supported by the current administration. More equipment for data transmission over inbuilding power cabling is being marketed. (OPEN)

150/450 MHz IX: Interference to a number of amateur and commercial systems on East Tiger Mountain continues. The source appears to be mixing in tower mounting hardware on one of the antenna support structures. (OPEN)

FRS Issues: Nothing new to report.  (OPEN)

700 MHz Planning & Meetings: The 700 MHz RPC committee agreed to write reply comments to FCC’s NPR. Public Safety agencies comments are to leave the plan alone so the band can be used. Meetings are held the last Wednesday of the month. The next meeting is tentatively scheduled to convene at Sparling Engineering. A telephone conference bridge is available for remote access.  The 700 MHz web sites are www.region43.org for Washington State, and www.region35.org, for Oregon. (OPEN)

800 MHz IX and Nextel issues: WSOT is progressing with rebanding along the Oregon (region 35) border. Early failures of new equipment (infant mortality) has caused slippage of implementation schedules. Advice for other rebanding candidates is not to under estimate the logistical management impact on their organization. The TA has agreed to have a technical representative at dispute resolution and mitigation hearings. (OPEN)

Technical Seminars at WWCIC Meetings:  Suggestions for future seminars are welcome. (OPEN)

XM and Sirius Satellite Radio News: The FCC has put the merger on hold pending further review. Sirius was to be the primary holder but had no terrestrial licenses. XM has exceeded it’s authorizations for terrestrial stations. (OPEN)

APCO business or reports and general frequency coordination news: The Washington APCO conference in Wenatchee on` June 27-29. http://www.apcowa.org/ (OPEN)

License-free or Spread-Spectrum technology issues:  No report. (OPEN)

4.9 GHz:  No new activity. WSDOT is using 4.9GHz on the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge. It is highly recommended that users of 4.9GHz inform the RPC of there operations. The 700MHz RPC maintains a voluntary database of users to help coordinate use since interference mitigation is up to the licensees.  (OPEN)

Amateur radio activity: The ARRL continues to work on BPL issues. Field Day exercise is June 23/24.   (OPEN)

New Business

Joint WCTC/WWCIC Meeting

Communications were made with Keith of the WCTC. He apologized and was surprised to hear that the WCTC had failed to follow though with the meeting plans. The task had been delegated. A number of changes have occurred; personnel, businesses, government agencies and regulations which have taken a toll on their organization.

The WWCIC board proposed to host a meeting in November (14 or 21st) at Semiahmoo. It was approved to pursue. The Winter Olympics will be a big topic; what are Industry Canada’s plans, how will they coordinate all the communications equipment coming into the area, what is the status of the cross border public safety communications network, how can the WWCIC help, 700MHz and 800MHz issues are a few broad subjects.    We need to develop an agenda so please forward topics that you would like discussed to the board so we can prepare both sides.

  Items of Information

Communications facilities on Capitol peak have been hit several times recently by thieves taking copper and other metal items. The WADNR is meeting with lessees to come up with solutions.

A $25,000 TV antenna waiting to be returned to the manufacturer, stored inside the site fence and behind two locked gates on Tiger Mountain was stolen.

There has been discussion at the FCC about accelerating further narrowband technology and going to 7.5/6.25 KHz channels sooner in the 150-174 MHz spectrum.

Security issues continue to arise with RFID and wireless phone technologies. The advantage of being able to read a RFID device from a distance is also a liability likewise the advanced features (camera, messaging, speakerphone, etc) in wireless phones have been compromised by hackers being able to take control of the device via the wireless network.

 

Moved and seconded to adjourn at 11:14 AM.

Respectfully submitted,

Steven Mayes,  Secretary/Treasurer

Return to Newsletter Menu - Return to Home Page