Late last week, UTC and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) filed a letter with the FCC outlining a transition period by which nuclear power plants could migrate away from using Telex wireless headsets that operate in the 700 MHz band (698-806 MHz). Specifically, UTC and NEI proposed a staged migration process by which each plant would decide within six months after their next scheduled outage whether they would purchase replacement equipment that did not operate in the 700 MHz band. They also proposed that each plant could notify the FCC by the end of that six month period and would then have a year to actually purchase, install, test and put the equipment into full operation. Finally, UTC and NEI explained that over 50% of the plants will have notified the FCC of their intent to migrate off of the 700 MHz band at the end of 2011 under this process, and that the migration period would not last more than three years after the date that the FCC renders a final decision regarding its Petition for Waiver seeking authority to operate Part 74 wireless headsets. UTC and NEI also asked that such Order would also grant nuclear power plants the right to operate on spectrum below 698 MHz. For more information, contact the UTC Legal/Regulatory Department.