The FCC has asked for comments on whether to let New York operate a new emergency communications system with less spectrum separation from analog and digital television stations than required under normal rules.
Last November, New York asked the FCC for a waiver to create the system in the 700MHz band for emergency use. The state prepared an engineering study that concluded the service would not cause significant interference to off-TV reception on channels 62, 63, 64, 67, 68 and 69. Whatever interference caused would be minimal and would end after the switch to DTV, the study said.
New York argues that it needs the communications system for public safety due to obsolete facilities that operate on incompatible frequency bands.
Comments to the FCC are due by March 28.