[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 192 (Friday, October 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59746-59750]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23517]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
[Docket No. 140925800-4800-01]
RIN 0660-XC013
Telecommunications Assessment of the Arctic Region
AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Inquiry.
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SUMMARY: Consistent with the Implementation Plan for the National
Strategy for the Arctic Region, the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) issues this Notice of Inquiry
(Notice) to seek public comment on the current and potential
availability of communications services in the Arctic region.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than November 3, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by email to
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arcticnoi@ntia.doc.gov. Comments also may be submitted by mail to:
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4898, Attn:
Arctic NOI, Washington, DC 20230. Responders should include the name of
the person or the organization, as well as a page number on each page
of their submissions. Paper submissions should also include a CD or DVD
with an electronic version of the document, which should be labeled
with the name and organization of the filer. All email messages and
comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be
posted without change to the NTIA Web site at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/federal-register-notice/2014/comments-arctic-noi. All personal
identifying information (e.g., name, address) voluntarily submitted by
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Please do not submit any
confidential or business sensitive information. NTIA intends to use the
information provided in response to this Notice about potential future
plans for communications networks in Arctic Alaska only in the
aggregate, excluding companies' names and customer information.
Additionally, this information will be used to describe potential
future communications developments to fill the gaps where services are
not currently provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Helen Shaw, National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4874, Washington, DC
20230; telephone: (202) 482-1157; email ntia.doc.gov">hshaw@ntia.doc.gov. Please
direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-
7002.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On May 10, 2013, President Obama issued the National Strategy for
the Arctic Region (National Strategy) to articulate strategic
priorities to enable the United States to ``respond effectively to
challenges and emerging opportunities arising from significant
increases in Arctic activity due to the diminishment of sea ice and the
emergence of a new Arctic environment.'' \1\ The National Strategy
includes: (1) Advancing U.S. security interests; (2) pursuing
responsible Arctic Region stewardship; and (3) strengthening
international cooperation. The National Strategy states that these
efforts will be guided by: ``Providing for the security of the United
States; protecting the free flow of resources and commerce; protecting
the environment; addressing the needs of indigenous communities; and
enabling scientific research.'' \2\ The United States is a member of an
eight nation Arctic Council, also consisting of Canada, the Russian
Federation, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.\3\
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\1\ National Strategy for the Arctic Region, The White House
(May 10, 2013), available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/nat_arctic_strategy.pdf. For purposes of this
Notice, the Arctic Region is defined as the geographic region north
of the Arctic Circle, which is at 66[deg] 33' 39'' North latitude.
The area includes offshore areas such as the Chukchi Sea and the
Beaufort Sea.
\2\ Id. at 4.
\3\ For purposes of this Notice, the ``pan Arctic'' region is
defined as the region above the Arctic Circle that includes the
areas of all eight Arctic Council member nations.
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The White House issued the Implementation Plan for the National
Strategy for the Arctic Region (Implementation Plan) in January 2014,
setting forth the methodology, process, and approach for executing the
National Strategy.\4\ The Implementation Plan provides four guiding
principles: (1) Safeguard peace and stability; (2) make decisions using
the best available information; (3) pursue innovative arrangements; and
(4) consult and coordinate with Alaska Natives.\5\ Furthermore, the
Implementation Plan emphasizes that the successful implementation of
the National Strategy will depend upon the active engagement and
coordination with Alaska Natives and the State of Alaska.\6\
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\4\ Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for the Arctic
Region, The White House, January 2014, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/implementation_plan_for_the_national_strategy_for_the_arctic_region_-_fi....pdf.
\5\ Id. at 4.
\6\ Press Release, White House Releases Implementation Plan for
the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, National Security
Council (Jan. 30, 2014), available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/01/30/white-house-releases-implementation-plan-national-strategy-arctic-region.
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The Implementation Plan calls on NTIA, with support from the
Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security (U.S. Coast
Guard), Department of Transportation, and the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC), to ``assess the telecommunication infrastructure in
the Arctic and use new technology to support improved communications in
the region, including in areas of sparse population to facilitate
emergency response.'' \7\ The Implementation Plan outlines three
distinct deliverables: (1) ``[a]ssess current and potential
availability of telecommunications services in the Arctic region,
including local and long-distance terrestrial, commercial mobile
cellular, public safety services, emergency services, navigational
safety and satellite voice, and broadband channel availability by the
end of 2014;'' (2) ``[d]evelop a framework that lists and prioritizes
opportunities for investment in telecom capacity and capability, with a
strong emphasis on innovative technologies with Federal, State, and
international public-private partnerships by the end of 2015;'' and (3)
``[i]n collaboration with the Arctic Council, evaluate feasibility of
an Arctic-wide telecommunications network and radio frequency spectrum
management with the goals of compatible interference-free operations
and Arctic-wide communications by end of the U.S. Chairmanship of the
Arctic Council.'' \8\
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\7\ Implementation Plan at 6.
\8\ Id. at 6-7.
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The Implementation Plan states further that ``[s]uccess of this
initiative will be the development of a framework, in coordination with
Federal, State, local, tribal, native governments and the commercial
enterprise, to prioritize investments in new facility and equipment
installations such as high-powered high frequency radio stations,
satellite ground stations, fixed microwave radio stations, public
safety radio facilities, mobile cellular base stations, and fiber optic
cable installations that enhance security and safety in the Arctic.''
\9\
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\9\ Id. at 7.
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NTIA and its Federal partners will leverage information currently
available from government, commercial, non-profit, and academic
entities. For example, NTIA's State Broadband Initiative funded a
comprehensive assessment of broadband infrastructure across Alaska,
which resulted in an August 2013 report entitled A Blueprint for
Alaska's Broadband Future (Blueprint Report).\10\ We will also utilize
data from the National Broadband Map and the Alaska Emergency Response
Guide for Small Communities.\11\
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\10\ A Blueprint for Alaska's Broadband Future, Statewide
Broadband Task Force (August 2013), available at http://www.alaska.edu/files/oit/bbtaskforce/2013-08-AK-Broadband-Task-Force-Report%7CA-Blueprint-for-Alaska's-Broadband-Future.pdf.
\11\ Alaska Emergency Response Guide for Small Communities,
State of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and
Homeland Security & Emergency Management (March 2013), available at
http://ready.alaska.gov.
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II. Objectives of This Notice
Effective communications services are critical to accommodate the
increase in commercial, residential, governmental, and other critical
economic and social activities across Arctic Alaskan
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communities, as well as the pan-Arctic region in general. A robust
communications infrastructure is a critical tool in economic
development, and it is expected that communications networks will
contribute to small business development, economic growth, and
corresponding employment increases. Accurate and reliable networks and
services, such as radionavigation, are critical to the safety and
security of the region.
This Notice offers an opportunity for all interested parties to
provide information regarding existing and potential communications
technologies, services and applications for the Arctic region. We
invite input from communication service providers that currently serve,
or plan to serve, Arctic Alaska and the pan-Arctic region. We also seek
comment from subject matter experts on the questions below. We further
invite feedback from all user segments (e.g., residential, business,
government, or community organizations) residing within the Alaskan
portion of the Arctic and all users whose activities may require
communications access across any portion of the Arctic.
For purposes of this Notice, the Arctic Region of Alaska is defined
as the geographic region north of the Arctic Circle, which is at
66[deg] 33' 39'' North latitude. The area includes offshore areas such
as the Chukchi Sea and the Beaufort Sea. However, parties may submit
information and data outside of this geographic area if its inclusion
is relevant to the questions that follow.
III. Request for Comments on Available and Planned Communications
Services
The Implementation Plan specifies a number of existing and
potential services for NTIA to assess, including: Local and long-
distance terrestrial, commercial mobile cellular, public safety
services, emergency services, navigational safety, satellite voice, and
broadband services. These services reflect a variety of network
technologies. We seek comment on the availability of all network
technologies, general communications services, and dedicated networks
and special services targeted for specific user segments in Arctic
Alaska. Interested parties should, therefore, provide information on
the availability and adequacy of networks and services listed below,
and any others that support the safety and security, economic
development, and other objectives in Arctic Alaska that were noted in
the National Strategy.
General Network Technologies: Wireline networks (copper,
cable, optical fiber, or hybrid networks), fixed wireless networks
(point-to-point, point-to-multipoint), mobile wireless networks, Wi-Fi
networks, fiber and microwave-based middle-mile networks, satellite
systems, submarine cable networks, terrestrial broadcast networks, high
frequency (HF) radio networks, very high frequency (VHF), unlicensed
systems, and any forms of hybrid networks.
General Communications Services: Voice, data, and video
services that can be delivered to fixed or mobile devices.
Dedicated Networks and/or Special Communications Services:
Public safety, emergency, search and rescue services, radionavigation,
aeronautical, maritime communications, weather services, or other
categories for specific user segments.
We seek information about the location and the adequacy of existent
networks owned and managed by commercial service providers, government
entities, non-profits, research and education entities, or any other
ownership and management models. Many of these networks and services
target terrestrial-based users (e.g., mobile cellular, terrestrial
fiber, fixed wireless). Input should pertain to the network
infrastructure and services within the Arctic portion of Alaska. Other
services may address the needs of both Alaskan-based and pan-Arctic
users (e.g., satellite, maritime communications).
To help guide commenters, we seek information about the
availability and adequacy of telecommunications services in the
following Arctic Alaskan communities and key geographic locations:
Alatna, Allakaket, Ambler, Anaktuvuk Pass, Arctic Village, Atqasuk,
Barrow (including Point Barrow), Beaufort Sea area, Beechey Point,
Bettles, Cape Blossom, Cape Lisburne, Chalkyitsik, Chandalar, Chuckchi
Sea area, Coldfoot, Deadhorse, Evansville, Fort Yukon, Kaktovik, Kiana,
Kivalina, Kobuk, Kotzebue, New Allakaket, Noatak, Northstar Island,
Noorvik, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, Point Lay, Prudhoe Bay/Prudhoe Bay Oil
Field, Red Dog Mine, Selawik, Sheshalik, Shungnak, Umiat, Venetie,
Wainwright, and Wiseman. This list should not be considered all-
inclusive, and absence from the list should not preclude responses on
other Arctic locations.
We encourage a broad response in order to assist our efforts to
develop a comprehensive assessment that considers all service
providers, user segments, stakeholders, and other interested parties.
We welcome responses and comments covering the following areas: (a)
Available networks and services; (b) potential networks and services;
(c) recommendations to foster the deployment of advanced communication
networks and services; and (d) adoption barriers. Please send links to
relevant documents, such as studies and reports.
IV. Questions About Telecommunications Services and Technologies in
Arctic Alaskan Communities and the Pan-Arctic Region
(1) Existing and Potential Networks and Services in Arctic Alaska:
Which Arctic Alaskan communities have access to, or lack access to, the
network technologies and communications services that enable local
residents, businesses, community institutions, local authorities, and
other user groups to effectively meet their communications
requirements? What network technologies and services are being planned
to address both current and emerging user needs?
(2) Wireline-Based Broadband Services: Which Arctic Alaskan
communities have access to fixed wireline services that offer a minimum
broadband speed of 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload? \12\ For such
communities, is access available to all homes, businesses, and
community anchor institutions? For communities with fiber, what factors
enable the business case for such deployment? For communities that have
advanced speeds via copper-based plant, please cite the types of
upgrades undertaken (e.g., copper-bonding, hybrid fiber systems, or
middle-mile upgrades to central offices). For communities with
microwave or fiber backhaul, what key enablers led to such deployment
(e.g., federal or state subsidy, public-private partnerships,
innovative business models)?
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\12\ Federal Communications Commission, Tenth Broadband Progress
Notice of Inquiry (August 2014), available at http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db0805/FCC-14-113A1.pdf. The Commission applies this benchmark to assess the pace
of broadband deployment, and has asked in the cited Notice whether
it should modify this threshold.
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(3) Fixed Wireless Broadband Services: Which Arctic Alaskan
communities have access to fixed wireless broadband with minimum
broadband speeds of 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload? What are the key
advantages and limitations of these networks? What best practices and
lessons can be applied to expand fixed wireless solutions to other
underserved Arctic Alaskan communities?
(4) Mobile Wireless: Which Arctic Alaskan communities have access
to mobile wireless broadband services that
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offer at least 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload speeds? What
percentage of households has replaced wireline services with mobile
wireless services? Under what circumstances are mobile wireless
services considered the most effective broadband solution for Arctic
Alaskan communities, taking into account pricing, coverage, service
quality, scale, and other key factors? What are the key barriers (e.g.,
economic, technology, regulatory, or spectrum availability) preventing
wide-scale deployment of third and fourth generation (3G and 4G)
technologies in the Arctic Alaskan region? To what extent is the lack
of middle-mile fiber or other broadband backhaul to base stations a key
barrier to higher speed deployments?
(5) Public Safety Services: Which Arctic Alaskan communities have
access to, or lack access to, wire and wireless public safety
communications systems used by law enforcement, fire emergency, and
emergency medical first responders? Are there plans to extend the
Alaska Land Mobile Radio network (ALMR) and the State of Alaska
Telecommunications System (SATS) to any Arctic Alaskan communities?
What are the benefits and limitations of extending the ALMR and SATS
networks to these communities and first responders and what key
barriers may limit this extension? Which other network technologies and
services are used by public safety professionals (e.g., dispatch land
mobile radio systems, commercial mobile radio, mobile satellite
services, high-frequency), and what are the key strengths and
limitations of these networks and services? How is communications
interoperability achieved among various first responders, and among
federal, state, and local agencies? What network technologies and
services are being planned for public safety communications, and what
are the key enablers and challenges with regard to the rollout of these
networks?
(6) Emergency Communications and Search and Rescue: What are the
emergency wired and wireless communications services available within
the listed Arctic Alaska communities, and other communities and
locations, and near and far offshore areas? How would these communities
connect into the overall Alaskan communications backbone network in
case of a major emergency? To what extent are there areas without any
emergency communications services? What communications services are
used for search and rescue operations and what is their availability
and reliability? Are the existing communications services used for
search and rescue operations adequate or are additional services
necessary?
(7) Satellite Communications Services: What specific satellite-
based services are widely used by Arctic Alaskan communities and users
across the pan-Arctic region? What are the strengths and limitations of
using satellites generally and for specific communications services?
What key dependencies and factors impact the likelihood of these
planned systems being launched in a timely manner? Which specific user
segments are being targeted and what services will be offered? Do
existing and planned satellite systems target the broader pan-Arctic
footprint and provide 24/7 availability? For areas where satellites
constitute the only form of communications, what ensures reasonable
pricing and service quality? In regard to older satellites that were
formerly in the geostationary orbit and are now operating in an
inclined orbit, how many hours of operation and what quality of service
do they offer in the Arctic Alaskan and in the pan-Arctic area?
(8) Broadcasting and Broadcasting-Satellite Services: What methods
are used to receive radio and television broadcast signals in Arctic
Alaskan areas? What improvements can be made if such signals are not
readily available? Does the Alaska Rural Communications System (ARCS)
provide adequate broadcasting coverage in the Arctic Alaskan
communities? To what extent do the broadband speeds of other
terrestrial and satellite networks enable the delivery of high-quality
video?
(9) Submarine Cable Networks: How do existing submarine cable
networks currently support the delivery of communications services in
Arctic Alaskan communities and the pan-Arctic region? What are the
advantages and limitations of these networks? How will new submarine
cable facilities being planned for this region contribute to the
performance, economics, and overall network access for the previously
mentioned services? What is the timetable for building and operating
these planned facilities and what key risks could impact their timing,
scale, availability, and overall sustainability?
(10) Aeronautical and Maritime Communications: What communications
systems and technologies support aircraft and maritime voice and data
communications? What are the key strengths and limitations of these
networks? What new systems are being planned to address aviation and
maritime user needs?
(11) Aeronautical and Maritime Radionavigation: What
radionavigation systems are currently used by commercial ships and
aircrafts in the Arctic region? What are the key strengths and
limitations of these systems, especially with regard to location
reliability? What new satellite-based navigation systems are being
planned, and what are their comparative advantages relative to current
systems? What key dependencies and factors impact the likelihood of
these systems being launched in a timely manner?
(12) Weather and Other Information Services: How effectively do
broadcast and other networks support the delivery of weather monitoring
alerts (including warnings, watches, and forecasts) and non-weather
hazard alerts across Arctic Alaska and the pan-Arctic region,
especially with regard to speed of delivery and service reliability?
How do Arctic broadcasts and other information reports for weather
monitoring compare to those services in other parts of Alaska? What
initiatives are underway, or can be recommended, to improve the
delivery and receipt of weather information and other critical alerts,
including system upgrades and/or new infrastructure deployments? What
innovations across satellite imaging and other technology developments
offer the greatest potential?
(13) High Frequency Radio Communications (3-30 MHz): How do high
frequency (HF) radio systems serve Arctic Alaskan end-users and to what
degree are they used especially for emergency and search and rescue
communications? What are the comparative advantages and limitations of
HF radio relative to other technologies, especially with regard to
reliability, privacy, and degree of availability after considering
seasonal and temporal variances? Which frequencies are currently used
and which ones offer the highest quality of service? What improvements
have been made, or are planned, on HF radios to improve communications?
(14) Very High Frequency Radio Communications (30-300 MHz): How do
Arctic Alaskan residents use VHF radios to communicate?
(15) Unlicensed (License-Exempt) Systems: What applications and
services utilizing unlicensed spectrum bands are used across the Arctic
region and to what extent? To what extent is unlicensed spectrum used
for providing broadband for residential and business users? What speeds
are available to these users? To what extent do power limits and other
technical restrictions in unlicensed spectrum bands impede the
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ability to deliver services to more homes and businesses?
(16) Existing and Potential Networks and Services Across the Pan-
Arctic Region: Which pan-Arctic regions have access to, or lack access
to, network technologies and communications services critical to the
safety and security of the pan-Arctic region, and the increasing
activity across commercial, maritime, research, tourism, and other
growing sectors? What network technologies and services are being
planned across the pan-Arctic region to address both current and
emerging user needs?
(17) Fostering the Deployment of Advanced Communications Networks
and Services in Arctic Alaskan Communities: What strategies are
recommended to facilitate the deployment of additional communications
capabilities across Arctic Alaska? These recommendations may involve
commercial or public investment, new business models, policy and
regulatory changes (federal, state, or local), public-private
partnerships, research and innovation developments, or other
suggestions. Please comment on best practices in other Alaskan
communities and other rural and remote areas.
(18) Fostering the Deployment of Advanced Communication Networks
and Services in the Pan-Arctic Region: What would facilitate the
deployment of advanced networks to ensure the safety, security, and the
commercial interests of the United States and other international users
in the pan-Arctic region? These recommendations may involve commercial
or public investment, new business models, policy and regulatory
changes (federal or international), international agreements, public-
private partnerships, research and innovation developments, or other
suggestions. We seek comment on best practices from other pan-Arctic
locations, and other rural and remote areas.
(19) Adoption Barriers: What key barriers limit the adoption of
existing services for users across both Arctic Alaska and the broader
pan-Arctic region? How can these adoption barriers be addressed?
Dated: September 29, 2014.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2014-23517 Filed 10-2-14; 8:45 am]
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