PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 98-786 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov Released: May 15, 1998 FCC SEEKS COMMENT ON CENTRAL AND SOUTH WEST SERVICES, INC. REQUEST FOR WAIVER TO PERMIT SHARING OF INDUSTRIAL AND LAND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USERS Comment Date: June 4, 1998 Reply Date: June 15, 1998 On May 6, 1997, Central and South West Services, Inc. (CSW) filed a Request for Waiver of Section 90.179 of the Commission's Rules to permit it to share its 800 MHz Industrial and Land Transportation (I/LT) Category system with Public Safety and Federal Government users on a non- profit, cost shared basis. CSW is the parent company of four electric utilities serving approximately 1.7 million consumers in 800 communities located throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. It is licensed for one hundred and twenty-five 800 MHz I/LT channel pairs and operates a trunked land mobile radio system providing communications capabilities over 152,000 square miles. CSW uses its system -- which was designed to address peak loading, reliability and control issues attendant to the rapid-wide scale mobilization of personnel and equipment -- to dispatch and coordinate inspection, maintenance and emergency response activities. Private Land Mobile Radio Service frequencies in the 800 MHz band are divided into the following five categories: Specialized Mobile Radio, Public Safety, Business, I/LT, and General. CSW requests a waiver in order to share its I/LT system with Public Safety and Federal Government eligibles because Section 90.179(a) of the Commission's Rules provides that a licensee may share its radio station only with users that would be eligible for separate authorization to use those frequencies. Public Safety and Federal Government entities are not eligible to be licensed on 800 MHz I/LT Category spectrum. In its Request for Waiver, CSW asserts that many public safety agencies operating within the area covered by its network lack sufficient spectrum or financial resources to construct and operate high quality, comprehensive communications systems. Additionally, CSW contends that these agencies often need to communicate and coordinate with CSW in situations such as power outages. Attached to the request are letters from eight Public Safety eligibles, and from the United States Army's Fort Hood military complex in central Texas, indicating interest in sharing CSW's system. Additionally, on March 5, 1998, CSW was contacted by the Texas Coastal Corridor Initiative about use of the CSW system for drug interdiction across South Texas. Interested parties may file comments on CSW's Request for Waiver on or before June 4, 1998. Parties interested in submitting reply comments must do so on or before June 15, 1998. All comments should reference CSW's Request for Waiver with the designated DA number, and should be filed with the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 222, Washington, D.C. 20554. A copy of each filing should be sent to International Transcription Services, Inc. (ITS), 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 857- 3800 and Scot Stone, Federal Communications Commission, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, 2025 M Street, N.W., Room 8010-G, (202) 418-0680 or via e-mail to sstone@fcc.gov. The full text of the Request for Waiver, comments, and reply comments are available for inspection and duplication during regular business hours in the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 2025 M Street, N.W., Room 8010, Washington, D.C. 20554. Copies also may be obtained from ITS, 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 857-3800. For further information, contact Scot Stone of the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418-0680 or via e-mail to sstone@fcc.gov. By the Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division. - FCC -