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OA Newsletter Reporting to Local Government about the Increasing Rate of Wireless Antenna Permit Applications Vol. 1, No. 2 Wireless Update April 1996 High Stakes Competition is Based on Technology Differences Cities and counties will soon be wondering "why is there PCS when we already have cellular?" The differences are technological, and each carrier is betting heavily on its technology to provide more rapid and cheaper communications in the 21st Century. First there was cellular, and cellular was initiated as analog. Those tall cellular towers are sending out analog signals for miles around. By now, cellular carriers may be converting to digital signals, sometimes sent from the same tower but often requiring new "infill" cell sites. Now comes PCS (Personal Communications Services) which is digital, and which also needs cell sites: hundreds of thousands of them across the U.S. PCS, by all accounts, can deliver more types of messages (voice, data, video) nicker and cheaper than cellular. And PCS will use lower of necessarily smaller) antennas because most cell sites will cover much less area. But, there will need to be thousands more PCS cell sites than cellular and there are very few up and running in early 1996. Cellular can provide digital services sooner than PCS in many areas, but PCS carriers claim they will dominate the wireless market in the 21st Century (once they get those antennas permitted). And all carriers are in a hurry. San Diego Clarifies Its Position, Says "Yes" As reported in a arc issue oWireless p ate ol. 1.. No. l.), the City of San Diego had delayed any action on PBMS (Pacific Bell Mobile Services) permits on 12 cell sites; but on March 19, 1996, the City Council clarified its position (5-3 vote) to allow PBMS to go ahead. According to Wireless Week (3/25/96), the main stumbling block to approval was a vigorous lobbying effort by the California Communications Council (CCC). The CCC claims that the PBMS technology interferes with hearing aids, anti -lock braking systems, automatic wheelchairs and auto air -bags. According to Wireless Week, CCC is funded by the Wireless Communications Council (WCC) in Washington O.C. WCC is a group founded by James Valentine, who invests and supports a rival technology to that proposed by PBMS. The two technologies (GSM and CDMA) are discussed in the next column. Second Issue of Wireless Update For those of you who missed Vol. 1, Number 1 of Wireless Update, there are still a few back issues available. If you would like a copy, please call Kreines & Kreines, Inc. at (415) 435-9214. We appreciate the comments we received on the first issue, e.g.: Why send small cities articles about large cities like San Francisco and San Diego? The needs of small cities are different than those of the larger cities. The reason is: the wireless issue is being framed in the larger cities first. Carriers realize that the biggest payoff will occur within the jurisdictions where they have the most cell sites. These same carriers hope that the precedents set in their most successful cities will influence their positions in future applications before small cities. Further, large cities have the staff and resources to deal with this relatively new concern and they can therefore respond more quickly and comprehensively. But does that mean that the large cities' review and approval procedures will set the tone for small cities? Wireless Update would appreciate your opinion, by fax, if possible, at (415) 435-1522. More Acronyms: GSM & CDMA PCS carriers are split (almost 50-50) on the digital technology they rely on. PBMS is using PCS-1900, a variant of the European GSM (Global System for Mobile communications). This is a proven and already operational technology. Sprint Spectrum and its three cable partners (Cox, ComCast and TCI) are betting on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). CDMA is California -developed (Qualcomm, Inc. in San Diego) but still has some testing to do. GSM carriers may provide PCS sooner, but CDMA carriers may have the superior technology. What does this mean for cities and counties? Picture your jurisdiction almost 100 years ago, when horse-drawn streetcars competed with cable cars and then along came electric trolleys. Each carrier served different areas better, relied on differing technologies and had varying rail specifications. And so it is with wireless: local governments can either help these competitors co -exist, or they can just let free enterprise determine who goes where and how long they can outlast each other. Published by Kreines & Kreines, Inc., 58 Paseo Mirasol, Tiburon, CA 94920, (415) 435-9214