From: "Fred R. Goldstein" <goldstein@delni.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Re: Apple Data-PCS Petition for Rulemaking
Date: 11 Apr 91 15:41:43 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA

In article <telecom11.280.3@eecs.nwu.edu>, 0004133373@mcimail.com
(Donald E. Kimberlin) writes...

>        "The Utilities Telecommunications Council" <what part of the
> woodwork DO all these outfits come out of?> "also objected to Apple's
> petition, noting that water, gas and electric utilities have invested
> more than $360 million in radio equipment to operate in the
> 1,850-1,990 MHz band." <Sounds to me like no more than ONE electric
> company'a annual rate ...>

The utilities are among the major users of the 2 GHz fixed microwave
band.  Back before cheap fiber optics, a lot of companies had private
radio systems there.  Many still do.  Utilities and railroads are the
major users, since they have rights-of-way and lots of data to send.

>        "That investment - which supports roughly 2,000 licenses"
> <aha!  let's see - $360 million/2,000 comes to ... $180,000 per EACH
> license.  WOW!  That's some AWFULLY expensive 2 Gigahertz microwave,
> folks!> "-could be stranded if private microwave users are relocated
> to other frequencies, resulting severe economic hardships, according
> to the council."

It's not cheap stuff.  To build a microwave network, you need radios,
towers, antennas, etc.  The 2 GHz band has a longer hop range than the
alternatives (higher frequencies).  So a utility might stick one 2 GHz
dish on a tower every 40-50 miles or so.  If they were displaced to
the 6 or 12 or 18 GHz ranges (and I'm not sure 12 is still available),
then they'd need towers every 20-30 miles (at 6 GHz) or even closer.
These don't come cheap!  I don't think Apple really apreciates that.

Voice and data PCNs are both neat ideas.  But the private microwave
users have a good case.  You can't replace all radios with glass;
glass is only suitable to high-density routes, and much private
microwave crosses inhospitable terrain, mountain peak to peak.  A huge
amount of spectrum is reserved for government use, and the FCC
currently only gets to divvy up the rest.  It's not an easy business.


Fred R. Goldstein              Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA
goldstein@delni.enet.dec.com   voice: +1 508 952 3274
 Do you think anyone else on the planet would share my opinions, let
 alone a multi-billion dollar corporation?