Sirius XM and EchoStar seek reconsideration of the...

in the emergency alert system in that category,” they said in a joint petition in docket 10-236 (http://bit.ly/ZgNRHB). The failure to clearly explain which entities are included in that category “will create confusion on the part of experimental program license applicants and undermine compliance with the commission’s goal of avoiding interference threats to the EAS network,” said Sirius and EchoStar. The effect could extend well beyond the millions of Sirius subscribers because of Sirius’ role in ensuring reliable distribution of EAS messages to primary entry point stations “and ultimately those who rely on the EAS network for emergency information,” it said. In January, the commission adopted rules to streamline experimental rules and allow experimental licensees to operate in any frequency band. For experiments that may affect bands used for the provision of commercial mobile services, emergency notifications or public safety purposes, program experimental radio licensees must develop a specific plan to avoid interference to these bands prior to commencing operation, the order said (http://bit.ly/Zhi4Gr). It cited the list of commercial mobile radio service frequencies provided in the NPRM, “but does not discuss what it means by ‘emergency notification’ bands or even repeat the notice’s discussion of EAS participants’ central role in providing such notifications,” the satellite companies said Thursday. “Instead, the order is silent on the matter of what service providers come within the emergency notification category.” Ensuring that all EAS participants are entitled to the special protections for critical services “will protect the EAS network and facilitate program license applicants’ compliance with the additional requirements applicable when proposing operations in frequencies used for emergency notification services,” the two companies said.