[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 217 (Tuesday, November 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69662-69663]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-28481]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[WT Docket No. 12-354; DA 15-1208]
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Comment on an
Appropriate Method for Determining the Protected Contours for
Grandfathered 3650-3700 MHz Band Licensees
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
(Bureau) seeks comment on the appropriate methodology for determining
the contours for protecting existing 3650-3700 MHz wireless broadband
licensees from Citizens Broadband Radio Service users during a fixed
transition period.
DATES: Comments are due on or before December 10, 2015. Reply comments
are due on or before December 28, 2015.
ADDRESSES: All filings in response to the notice must refer to WT
Docket No. 12-354. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau strongly
encourages parties to file comments electronically. Comments may be
submitted electronically by the following methods:
Federal Communications Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
By email. To obtain instructions for filing by email,
filers should send an email to [email protected], and include the following
words in the body of the message, ``get form.'' A sample form and
directions will be sent in response.
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must
file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent 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, Attn: WTB/MD, 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. All 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 mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be addressed
to 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554.
People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request reasonable
accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: [email protected] or phone: (202) 418-
0530 or TTY: (202) 418-0432.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Powell, Mobility Division,
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418-1613 or via email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of public notice (DA 15-
1208) released on October 23, 2015. The complete text of the public
notice is available for viewing via the Commission's ECFS Web site by
entering the docket number, WT Docket No. 12-354. The complete text of
the public notice is also available for public inspection and copying
from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) Monday through Thursday
or from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET on Fridays in the FCC Reference
Information Center, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC
20554, telephone 202-488-5300, fax 202-488-5563, or you may contact
BCPI at its Web site: http://www.BCPIWEB.com. When ordering documents
from BCPI, please provide the appropriate FCC document number, for
example, DA 15-1208.
In the notice, the Bureau seeks comment on the appropriate
methodology for determining the protected interference contours for
existing 3650-3700 MHz wireless broadband licensees during a fixed
transition period. During the transition period existing licensees will
receive protection for operations that are within their ``Grandfathered
Wireless Protection Zone,'' provided that: (1) The stations were
registered in the Commission's Universal Licensing System (ULS) on or
before April 17, 2015; and (2) as of a year later (April 17, 2016) the
stations are constructed, in service, and fully compliant with the
relevant operating rules.
Specifically, the Bureau seeks comment on a two-pronged approach to
defining the Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zone around
``grandfathered'' base stations. Under this two-part approach, the
Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zone around each base station would
be defined by: (1) Sectors with a 4.4 km radius from each registered
base station, and the azimuth and beamwidth registered for that base
station with associated unregistered customer premises equipment (CPE)
to encompass the operational area of unregistered subscriber stations;
and (2) sectors (centered on each base station with the registered
azimuth and beamwidth) which would encompass all registered subscriber
stations within that sector. The first prong of the approach will
provide protection for unregistered subscribers that operate below the
mobile power limit of 1 watt/25 MHz EIRP, which are within the range of
a registered base station. Since unregistered CPE operates at low power
it is only able to effectively communicate with base stations within a
limited range. Considering the relative low power of unregistered CPE
compared to the power of a base station, the upstream or ``talk-back''
path determines the maximum range of a system. Using average values for
unregistered CPE transmit power and base station receiver sensitivity
specifications from existing type certified equipment, and assuming
free space loss along a line of sight path, we calculate that a typical
unregistered CPE will have a maximum range of approximately 4.4 km for
``talk-back'' to a base station. The second prong of the approach will
provide protection to each base station's registered CPE. Protected
sectors around each base station will be defined based on the distance
from the base station to the furthest CPE unit registered in ULS and
the base station antenna parameters (e.g., azimuth and beamwidth)
registered in ULS and a graphic representation of this methodology is
included in an appendix to the Notice. The Bureau proposed that the
field strength limit of any Citizens Broadband Radio Service station
should be 44
[[Page 69663]]
dBuV/m/MHz at the boundary of the Grandfathered Wireless Protection
Zone.
The notice seeks comment on how best to implement the protection
methodology, including properly collecting and managing data. Much of
the relevant data is already stored in the Commission's ULS but ULS
does not record three key elements needed to implement the proposed
methodology: (1) Information that would distinguish between base
station and CPE use; (2) the specific center frequency on which the
station operates; and (3) whether a base station has associated
unregistered CPE. Therefore, the Bureau proposes to implement a
mechanism whereby licensees will certify which of their base stations
are constructed, in service, and in full compliance with the rules by
April 17, 2016, and provide the three key elements simultaneously. The
notice seeks comment on this approach and alternative approaches. This
proceeding has been designated as a ``permit-but-disclose'' proceeding
in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules. Persons making ex
parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a
memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days
after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the
Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations
are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list
all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at
which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data
presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the
presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data
or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments,
memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide
citations to that data or arguments in his or her prior comments,
memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or
paragraph numbers where the data or arguments can be found) in lieu of
summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to
Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex
parte presentations and must be filed consistent with Sec. 1.1206(b)
of the Commission's rules. In proceedings governed by Sec. 1.49(f) or
for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic
filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral
ex parte presentations and all attachments to those documents must be
filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that
proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml,
.ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should
familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
Federal Communications Commission.
Brian Regan,
Chief of Staff, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2015-28481 Filed 11-9-15; 8:45 am]
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