[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 116 (Friday, June 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35962-35964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-14602]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[PS Docket No. 11-15; FCC 12-53]
Utilizing Rapidly Deployable Aerial Communications Architecture
in Response to an Emergency
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice of inquiry.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission seeks comment on the role of
deployable aerial communications architecture (DACA) in facilitating
emergency response by rapidly restoring communications capabilities in
the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic event. The Notice of Inquiry
explores the technologies that are or will be available, including
innovative DACA technologies that are still in development. It also
examines technical and operational issues associated with the use of
DACA technologies, including interference and coordination issues, that
must be addressed to enable their use, in order to increase the
capabilities of emergency responders and provide the public with
connectivity when it is needed the most.
DATES: Comments are due on or before July 25, 2012 and reply comments
are due on or before August 14, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Comments and reply comments may be filed using: (1) The
Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2) the Federal
Government's eRulemaking Portal, or (3) by filing paper copies.
Comments and reply comments may be filed electronically using the
Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/ or the
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Parties who choose to file by paper can submit filings by hand or
messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class
or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to
the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal
Communications Commission. All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered
paper filings for the Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC
Headquarters at 445 12th Street SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC
20554. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or
fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the
building.
Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express
Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive,
Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express,
and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street SW., Washington,
DC 20554. Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and
four copies of each filing.
Parties wishing to file materials with a claim of confidentiality
should follow the procedures set forth in Sec. 0.459 of the
Commission's rules. Confidential submissions may not be filed via ECFS
but rather should be filed with the Secretary's Office following the
procedures set forth in 47 CFR 0.459. Redacted versions of confidential
submissions may be filed via ECFS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Manner, Federal
Communications Commission, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau,
at (202) 418-3619.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Notice
of Inquiry (NOI or Notice) in PS Docket No. 11-15, FCC 12-53, adopted
and released on May 24, 2012. The complete text of this document is
available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in
the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street SW.,
Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. This document may also be purchased
from the Commission's duplicating contractor Best Copy and Printing,
Inc., Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC
20554, telephone (800) 378-3160 or (202) 488-5300, facsimile (202) 488-
5563, or via email at fcc@bcpiweb.com. It is also available on the
Commission's Web site at http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db0524/FCC-12-53A1.pdf. To request materials in
accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print,
electronic files, audio format), send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or
call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530
(voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).
[[Page 35963]]
Synopsis of the Notice of Inquiry
This Notice of Inquiry further examines the potential for DACA
technologies to provide communications when terrestrial communications
infrastructures are disrupted or disabled due to a catastrophic event.
To that end we seek comment on the role of DACA, the communication
service architecture and various DACA platform technologies that are
currently available or in development, and the scope of their use in
the aftermath of a catastrophic event, as well as how to best
coordinate operations and spectrum availability and authorization
matters. We also seek comment on system performance of DACA
technologies to include coverage, capacity, interference, power
consumption, and the interoperability of DACA technologies with
existing communications services and infrastructure, among other
issues.
A. DACA Technologies
Several promising DACA technology platforms that could be deployed
shortly after a disaster to support communications without requiring
deployment of any special user devices include unmanned aerial
vehicles, weather balloons, and suitcase based systems. Additional DACA
technologies also can provide critical communications as either a
standalone aerial platform or an add-on payload. We seek comment on the
ability of various DACA technologies to deliver critical communications
immediately after a catastrophic event. We also seek comment on each
DACA technology's ability to support existing communication services
and devices. Are there other technological solutions similar to DACA
that are ground based that would be equally adept at restoring
commercial and public safety communications to an area?
We seek comment on DACA technologies used within the U.S. Armed
Forces. For instance, what DACA technologies are the United States
military currently using and in what situations are they used? What
lessons can we learn from the military's use of these technologies? Are
there relevant differences between military use and civilian use that
should be taken into account?
We seek comment on the availability and cost of DACA technology
platforms. For instance, are these technologies commercially available
today? What are the capital costs of DACA platforms, either as
standalone aerial systems, add-on technologies, or alternative ground
based solutions? What are the operational costs of these platforms?
We seek comment on the capabilities of each DACA technology to
support commercial and public safety communications services. We note
that other participants in the DACA workshop addressed the cost-
effectiveness of unmanned aerial vehicles, weather balloons, and high
altitude platforms. How does the cost compare for each system?
AT&T and AeroVironment have stated that weight may be a limiting
factor in how many communications payloads DACA technology can support
at a time. We seek comment on this observation.
We also seek comment on whether DACA technologies are being used in
other countries. What has been the experience with these technologies
abroad?
B. Scope of DACA Usage and Coordination of Operations
We seek comment on the appropriate emergency response coordination
necessary to successfully deploy DACA solutions in the aftermath of a
catastrophic event to establish emergency communications. For instance,
how can an Incident Command System make use of DACA solutions?
We also seek comment on real-time coordination during emergency
response efforts when using DACA solutions. For instance, should any
agency of the federal government, or a combination of agencies, be
responsible for coordinating the deployment and use of DACA
technologies and solutions during emergencies?
We next seek comment on ensuring that DACA usage complies with the
regulations and operational constraints of the U.S. national airspace
system. How should DACA system usage be coordinated with other
government agencies that have a role with regard to emergency response
and air traffic control, in particular the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA)?
AT&T states that DACA technologies should only be utilized as a
last resort, where other existing terrestrial options for restoring
service are inadequate to address the circumstances, to avoid impeding
the restoration efforts that carriers typically bring to bear in these
types of emergency situations. We seek comment on this approach.
We seek comment on appropriate protocols or procedures to
coordinate both civilian and military emergency response activities
involving the use of DACA solutions. More specifically, we request
comment on how to resolve critical issues that will straddle
jurisdictional lines, such as determining priorities between military
and commercial use of DACA systems, and deciding whether to establish
guidelines for the use of DACA technologies to promote
interoperability.
We seek comment on how the control over and operation of DACA
transmitters would fit into the current framework of the Communications
Act and our rules, and how the regulatory authority of other agencies
(e.g., NTIA) will play into their operations.
We next seek more specific comment on the range of authorization
mechanisms that may be appropriate for various circumstances in which
DACA solutions may be deployed. To the extent DACA operations are
conducted by FCC licensees, what type of adjustments would need to be
made in our rules? To the extent that third parties own and operate
DACA solutions that operate over spectrum allocated for Non-Federal
use, we seek comment on how their operations should be authorized.
C. System Performance
1. Coverage
We seek comment on how to delineate the affected area for which a
DACA solution is deployed. We seek comment on how to best achieve as
much coverage of an affected area as possible. One possibility is to
deploy DACA platforms in stages, and at multiple altitudes, to quickly
serve and restore communications. We seek comment on this approach. We
also seek comment on the ability of DACA technologies to provide
geographic coverage over all geographies and terrains.
2. Frequency Planning and Minimizing the Potential for Harmful
Interference
We seek comment on the frequency bands that are most suitable for
DACA use. On which frequency bands should DACA technologies be
permitted to operate? Would use of DACA on certain bands interfere with
public safety or other services? If so, in which bands and what
solutions are available to minimize interference?
AT&T suggests that some of its interference concerns can be
minimized if DACA technologies do not employ the commercial frequency
bands and instead are limited to those bands used for unlicensed
operations and other non-cellular-based technologies. We seek comment
on this observation.
We seek comment on whether the Commission should authorize a third
party to develop and maintain frequency assignments and or a
[[Page 35964]]
database(s) to manage the use of DACA solutions to limit the
interference potential among and between DACA and terrestrial uses.
Comsearch suggests that ``a centralized database approach offers
several merits including: standardized data structures and format,
efficiency in data provisioning, ease of maintenance, high accuracy and
reliability, and streamlined interaction.'' We seek comment on this
``centralized database'' approach.
To ensure that frequency reuse does not cause interference,
wireless providers must ensure that they coordinate the transmitters in
their network and coordinate with providers operating in adjacent
markets on the same frequencies. We seek comment on whether similar
procedures should be adopted for DACA technologies and, if so, what
they should include.
Moreover, other than allocating dedicated spectrum for the use of
DACA technologies, are there methods to ensure that frequency reuse
does not cause interference or to minimize any such interference?
Several comments raised the concern that the use of DACA
technologies during emergencies could overlap with the restoration of
terrestrial services, potentially creating interference. We seek
comment on ways to avoid this problem.
We also seek comment on DACA signal propagation.
We also seek comment on directional antennas and any other products
that can help to mitigate or reduce interference.
AT&T suggests that the use of tethered aerostats, i.e., aerostats
tethered to the ground, would minimize interference concerns and
propagate a more predictable signal, especially if equipped with
stabilizers to minimize movement of the aerostat that accompanies the
use of DACA technology. We seek comment on the suitability of tethered
platforms.
3. Interoperability
Interoperability is a central requirement of emergency response
communications between multiple disciplines and agencies. If DACA
technologies are used for emergency communications, it is critical to
ensure that they preserve interoperability for emergency responders.
How can existing public safety network services be accessed using DACA
solutions while preserving interoperability?
C. Prioritization of Service and Access
DACA systems may have limitations in terms of the aggregate volume
of traffic that can be supported by an aerial platform, due to factors
such as the size, weight, and power of DACA technologies. Such
limitations may create a need to examine priorities among the various
communications services that DACA systems might help restore. We seek
comment on the issue of prioritizing certain communications services
immediately following a catastrophic event.
D. International Considerations
We recognize that radio transmissions, including from DACA
transmitters, do not recognize political boundaries. Could DACA
technologies operate in a way that would comply with the signal
strength limits set forth in these agreements? If DACA technologies are
unable to comply with technical criteria detailed in existing
agreements with Canada and Mexico, we seek comment on what types of
agreement would need to be reached with each country to permit DACA
operations along the border.
E. Conclusion
1. Ensuring that communications are available immediately following
a catastrophic event is critical to emergency response. DACA brings the
promise of a new tool that can be rapidly deployed and utilized when
terrestrial infrastructure is not available, potentially facilitating
the use of day-to-day commercial and public safety devices. This
capability could save lives. We intend for the record generated by this
proceeding to provide the opportunity for a thorough discussion of DACA
technologies and solutions that address system performance, service
prioritization, and governance issues.
Accordingly, it is ordered that, pursuant to sections 1, 4(i),
4(j), 4(o), 7(b), 301, 316 and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934,
47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i)-(j) & (o), 157(b), 301, 316 and 403, and Sec.
1.430 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.430, this Notice of Inquiry
is adopted.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-14602 Filed 6-14-12; 8:45 am]
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