Smart Grid

The conference report has combined provisions from the House bill (Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum (JOBS) Act) and the Senate bill (Strengthening Public-safety and Enhancing Communications Through Reform, Utilization, and Modernization (SPECTRUM) Act, S. 911) concerning the ability to access either the network capacity or network infrastructure for the purposes of providing non-public safety services.

July 8, 2011

Smart meters operate significantly below FCC exposure limits, and the RF exposure effects of smart meters are very small compared to exposure from other sources at home, according to two new white papers released by the EEI, Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC) and UTC. The group got together in December 2010 with the intent of creating information that would give non-utility readers an opportunity to learn more about and discuss utilities' efforts to investigate, evaluate and implement Smart Meter programs.

The Utilities Telecom Council filed a Petition for Reconsideration yesterday with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) urging the FCC to reconsider its Order that restricts the use of fixed operations in the 700 MHz public safety broadband spectrum, such that fixed operations are permitted only on an ancillary and secondary basis.