Speed Control Was Installed, Not On at Time of Amtrak Crash

[joshcryer]

13. FCC had no authority here.

“Railroad representatives said that obtaining spectrum is a critical challenge in high-density urban areas,” the General Accountability Office, the independent agency that audits federal agencies, concluded in an August 2013 report. “Without acquiring sufficient spectrum, railroads may be unable to adequately test their PTC systems, potentially causing further delays.”

Lacking deals to buy spectrum, Amtrak executives and other public transportation officials began calling on the FCC to provide access to unused bands of spectrum in the 220Mhz frequency. Had the rail lines sought other spectrum, their safety system operations would not have been compatible with the private firms that were already operating on that frequency, they argued.

But the FCC declined their requests, telling Amtrak that it did not have legal authority to bequeath spectrum, while insisting that the rail operator could find licenses in the 220Mhz band on the private market.

http://www.ibtimes.com/amtraks-failure-gain-wireless-spectrum-rights-stymied-safety-technology-1924499

Giving Environmentel LLC all the negotiating power over this spectrum killed 8 people. Maybe Amtrack could've shopped around for a more expensive license, but that's the nature of the market, for you. Always the lowest bid. Safety be damned.