Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!hayes.fai.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cellular Phone Use on Airport Runway Message-ID: <13110@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 6 Oct 90 09:48:35 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 31 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 717, Message 11 of 13 On Oct 6 at 1:20, TELECOM Moderator writes: > [Moderator's Note: Well, what is it the traffic reporters use now? I > think the guy for WMAQ News Radio 67 here uses a cellular phone to > report to the news desk. If not, what is he using? PAT There is only one thing he can be using if the reports are broadcast directly and that is a "Part 74" frequency. Part 74 is the section of FCC rules and regs that covers use of broadcast aux frequencies. And the rules are quite explicit that anything meant for direct broadcast must be sent on one of these channels. There are such channels in the 150 MHz and more popular 450 MHz region. The 950 MHz channels that radio broadcasters use to relay program material to transmitter sites also fall under Part 74. Just as someone was busted in the Seattle area for using cellular for this purpose, so was a station in the Bay Area chastised for using the "business band" for traffic reports. The problem is, in metro areas there aren't enough Part 74 frequencies to go around. And even though there are several traffic reporting services that are used by many stations, they must use a coveted Part 74 frequency (whose license is actually held by a designated broadcaster, since only broadcasters can be granted licenses for these channels). Another problem is that use of a frequency from aircraft wipes out its reuse over a vast area. Broadcasters spend many hours a month coordinating the use of these frequencies. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !