Wireless Internet Service Providers Association Executive Director Rick...

Wireless Internet Service Providers Association Executive Director Rick Harnish fired back at comments from Cisco opposing the group’s petition for reconsideration of a March 31 FCC order that opens up the 5.1 GHz band for Wi-Fi and other unlicensed use (CD Aug 15 p1). “This does not surprise me from Cisco,” Harnish said in an e-mail. “Cisco has never embraced the WISP industry. They have focused most of their ‘wireless’ energies on indoor products for schools, hospitals and other industries.” WISPs are not to blame for past interference to terminal doppler weather radar (TDWR) cited by Cisco in its comments, Harnish said. While WISPA did not file comments on the various recon petitions, in docket 13-49, Harnish did (http://bit.ly/1l8UIjM). Harnish said tight restrictions imposed by the FCC in the band will have a “disastrous” effect on rural broadband.