Comments to petition for opening up 3.7 to 4.2 spectrum for wireless providers.



To Whom It May Concern,

We are a fixed wireless service provider in Central Washington.  Our current customer subscribership is nearing 400 customers.  We are one of two providers of wireless Internet service in our area.  The other provider is Inland Networks, a telco based in Roslyn, WA.  They deliver Internet service using fiber to limited business entities, cable Internet and television service, and a very small and shrinking fixed wireless network.  Rural residential owners have confided in me that they are stuck in a monopoloized situation because of Inland Telephones practice of bundling service.  Customers report that they have no other choices for Internet service because they are forced to take phone service, TV, and Internet in a bundled package.  If they chose not to accept TV or telephone service Inland simply adds those fees to the Internet service.  Furthermore, their advertised fixed wireless service packages are $64.95 for 1Mbps and $39.95 for 128kbps which by all standards is extremely poor and far below national standards.

It is vitally important that this spectrum be made available to wireless providers.  As mid spectrum using 5.8GHz has been taken away and EIRP levels reduced we are finding it very difficult to deliver quality high speed service to customers living in locations further than 5 miles or more from an available access point. In addition the remaining spectrum on 5.8 band is becoming congested to the point that we are beginning to see a degradation in service.

Within the city limits of Cle Elum, WA where our office is we are currently providing service levels of 20, 50, and 100 Mbps speeds using 60 Ghz backhauls and DFS channels using Mimosa client integrated CPEs.  With only two landline providers offering DSL and Cable service reaching limited speeds no better than 14Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream we have found a customer need for our fixed wireless service.  However, we are limited to 2/3 of a mile penetration to available customers with LOS to an available access point.  We have found the need to construct multiple access points in order to reach more customers in order to continue to build our business and provide high quality service to the community.

We are please to join in this petition and respectfully request that you consider opening up the use of this vital commodity.

David N. McMahan
Symplified Technologies, LLC