The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has extended the comment schedule for the Safer Buildings Coalition’s Petition for Rulemaking on Part 90 Signal Boosters (RM-12009), giving industry stakeholders additional time to review the filing and submit responses.
The petition seeks a standardized framework for authorizing industrial signal boosters. The FCC accepted initial comments through November 18 after extending the original October 16 deadline. Reply comments are due December 18. The petition asks the FCC to amend 47 CFR §90.219 by establishing procedures that include:
- Published technical criteria for licensee consent for deployments;
- Streamlined compliance processes for entities seeking deployment;
- A systematic tracking database for installations of signal boosters.
In its published executive summary and FAQ sheet, the Safer Buildings Coalition (SBC) notes that current rules require non-licensees to secure “express consent” from licensees for signal booster deployments yet offer no standardized criteria or process for obtaining it. The FAQ sheet identifies key gaps in the current framework: no clear process to request consent; unpublished criteria to evaluate installations; unclear duration of authorizations; and no national tracking repository for systems that create interference.
The matter affects a wide range of stakeholders. Public-safety agencies face reliability concerns and resource diversion. License-holders seek regulatory clarity. AHJs and property owners seek cost predictability and streamlined timelines. Manufacturers and integrators face market variability and potential new equipment requirements.
FCC outlines key questions
SBC’s background materials note that the FCC is seeking focused input on three central questions as part of this proceeding. The first concerns whether improper or uncoordinated signal booster deployments create interference issues or strain resources for public-safety agencies and license-holders. The second asks whether the proposed authorization framework would help reduce those problems. The third invites stakeholders to suggest alternative approaches, including technical or regulatory measures that could improve system reliability.
According to information provided to SecurityInfoWatch by SBC Managing Director John Foley, the coalition hopes commenters will validate the interference concerns raised in the proceeding, assess whether the proposed framework will help address them, and provide additional ideas that could strengthen the rulemaking. As he put it, the coalition is looking for commenters to “affirm that the problem is real.”
Stakeholders encouraged to engage
The SBC encourages stakeholders to file comments now because the present proceeding offers the first comprehensive review of Part 90 booster rules since 2013. Reply comments may be filed through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System here.
The coalition also points stakeholders to a recorded webinar, “FCC Petition Webinar: Shaping the Future of Signal Booster Rules,” presented by Foley on October 1, for those seeking additional background.
