SAINT LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - July 23, 2010) - The second day of the Wireless Internet Service Providers' Association (WISPA) Regional Meeting presented keynote speaker Julius Knapp, Chief of the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). "It just knocks me over that there are over 250 registered attendees at this regional meeting," Knapp said.
Knapp discussed a wide range of upcoming FCC initiatives and said, "WISPs and the FCC have worked together on the 3.65 GHz and 5 GHz proceedings, which are now complete."
Of the licensed-lite rules in the 3.65 GHz proceeding, "We wanted providers to work together as a community," Knapp said.
He thanked WISPA for working on the voluntary Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) database. WISPA is working with Motorola, Spectrum Bridge, the FAA, the FCC, and others to coordinate spectrum use to ensure the safe operation of airport radars used to detect dangerous flight conditions.
In the educational sessions, Peter Stanforth, CTO and co-founder of Spectrum Bridge, presented the TDWR database to attendees and presented the latest developments in TV White Spaces (TVWS). "The database was built with outreach and support from WISPA," Stanforth stated.
In the morning, WISPA held a breakfast Board meeting open to members. The meeting received reports from the various WISPA committees, and WISPA's lawyer, Steve Coran, highlighted the work the association has completed during the past year, such as licensed-lite rules in the 3.65 GHz WiMAX spectrum.
The Board has offered current Board President Rick Harnish the position of Executive Director. Harnish will report to the Board. The Board also authorized the creation of an advertising committee to help membership advertise their services.
Harnish has been instrumental in the success of the Regional Meeting. Harnish noted, "It was great to see the excitement in the industry again." Vendors were equally pleased. Dish Network Director of Sales Tim Koch stated, "It's a natural partnership, WISPs and DISH Network share the same competitor."
This was the final meeting of the current Board of Directors of WISPA, as elections for the next Board are under way. The new Board will take office on August 1, 2010, and the Executive Director will start work on the same day.