May 7th, 2007
FCC Fines FedEx For Interfering With Local Police Signals
FedEx has a squeaky clean image. It is hard to imagine them running afoul of local law enforcement by interfering with police dispatching signals.
But that's exactly what FedEx did in and around Riverside, California. And in a judgement announced by the FCC last Friday, FedEx is going to have to pay a $4,000 fine.
According to the FCC, the troubles started on on June 15, 2006, when the FCC's Enforcement Bureau’s Los Angeles Office received an interference complaint from the City of Riverside, California, Police Department, who reported that they had been receiving co-channel interference to their radio system licensed to operate on 460.250 MHz during early morning tactical operations for several weeks.
Before contacting the FCC, the Riverside Police got their facts straight. They also reported that they had previously used their own direction finding equipment and located the interference to the Fed Ex package distribution facility in nearby Bloomington, California.
"After locating the interference, Riverside Police Department personnel stated that they immediately contacted Fed Ex personnel, who agreed to stop operating and correct the problem," the FCC says. "Several days later, however, the Riverside Police again noticed the interference on 460.250 MHz. The Riverside Police then contacted the FCC Enforcement Bureau’s Los Angeles Office."
FedEX soon stopped broadcasting on 460.250, but that didn't excuse the fact that their previous activity on 460.250 MHz made them liable for a fine. FedEx attempted to lower the judgement (as if 4K would hurt 'em), but the FCC wasn't willing to play along.
Finally the FCC put the hammer down. FedEx absolutely, positively, has to pay up within 30 days.
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
