[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21786-21788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8209]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 05-619]


Basic Reconfiguration Schedule Put Forth in the Transition 
Administrator's 800 MHz Regional Prioritization Plan

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In July 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 
adopted a Report and Order, in the 800 MHz Public Safety Proceeding 
establishing rules that reconfigure the 800 MHz band to eliminate 
interference to public safety and other 800 MHz land mobile 
communication systems. As specified in the Commission's Report and 
Order, the band reconfiguration process is being overseen by a 
Transition Administrator (TA) whose duties include providing the 
Commission with a plan detailing when band reconfiguration will 
commence in each of the fifty-five 800 MHz National Public Safety 
Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) regions. On January 31, 2005, the 
TA filed the plan (Regional Prioritization Plan or RPP), containing a 
general schedule for implementing 800 MHz band reconfiguration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roberto Mussenden, 
[email protected], Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure 
Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418-0680, TTY (202) 
418-7233.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of a public notice 
released on March 11, 2005.
    1. The TA plan assigns each of the fifty-five NPSPAC regions to one 
of four basic ``prioritization waves'' with staggered approximate 
starting dates. Under the RPP, the first wave commences on June 27, 
2005, (Wave 1), the second wave on October 3, 2005 (Wave 2), the third 
wave on January 3, 2006 (Wave 3) and the fourth wave on

[[Page 21787]]

April 3, 2006 (Wave 4). The reconfiguration process for each wave 
begins with negotiations between affected licensees and Nextel for 
payment of relocation costs. Licensees may negotiate with Nextel 
directly or use the TA as an intermediary. There are separate six-month 
negotiation periods for non-NPSPAC and NPSPAC licensees. Consistent 
with the Commission's Report and Order, 69 FR 67823, November 22, 2004, 
released on August 6, 2004, the first three months of the negotiation 
period are voluntary, the last three months mandatory. Band 
reconfiguration will be completed within thirty-six months of the date 
on which official band reconfiguration commences, as required by the 
Commission's Report and Order.
    2. By this notice, and as specified in the Report and Order, we 
approve the RPP's basic 800 MHz band reconfiguration schedule, i.e., 
the grouping of the NPSPAC regions into four waves and starting the 
reconfiguration process in each wave on the dates recommended by the 
TA. We believe this schedule comports with the population and 
interference-history considerations identified in the Report and Order. 
We also concur with the Transition Administrator's recommendation for 
separate negotiation periods for NPSPAC and non-NPSPAC licensees in 
each wave.
    3. The Commission will release public notices establishing the 
start date for commencement of negotiations in each wave. These public 
notices will be released thirty days prior to the start dates. However, 
licensees may initiate negotiations before the start date, and we 
encourage them to do so, especially in the case of complex systems such 
as those that span more than one NPSPAC region.
    4. The Reconfiguration Plan filed by the TA is available on the 
Commission's 800 MHz band reconfiguration Web page at http://www.800MHz.gov. A summary of the schedule is listed in the attachment 
to this notice. Questions concerning the RPP, and other Transition 
Administrator matters, including whether your 800 MHz system must be 
relocated, should be directed to Brett Haan, BearingPoint, 1676 
International Drive, McLean, VA 22102, [email protected].

Federal Communications Commission.
Ramona Melson,
Chief of Staff, Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division, 
WTB.

                        Attachment--800 MHz Band Reconfiguration Implementation Schedule
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                                                                                          Approximate start date
           NPSPAC region                Description of region              Wave                for each wave
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1..................................  Alabama....................  3.....................  1/3/06
2..................................  Alaska.....................  4.....................  4/3/06
3..................................  Arizona....................  4.....................  4/3/06
4..................................  Arkansas...................  2.....................  10/3/05
5..................................  California (Southern)......  4.....................  4/3/06
6..................................  California (Northern)......  1.....................  6/27/05
7..................................  Colorado...................  1.....................  6/27/05
8..................................  NY City area (NY, NJ, & CT)  1.....................  6/27/05
9..................................  Florida....................  3.....................  1/3/06
10.................................  Georgia....................  3.....................  1/3/06
11.................................  Hawaii.....................  1.....................  6/27/05
12.................................  Idaho......................  2.....................  10/3/05
13.................................  Illinois (except Southern    1.....................  6/27/05
                                      Lake Michigan counties).
14.................................  Indiana (except Southern     1.....................  6/27/05
                                      Lake Michigan counties).
15.................................  Iowa.......................  2.....................  10/3/05
16.................................  Kansas.....................  2.....................  10/3/05
17.................................  Kentucky...................  2.....................  10/3/05
18.................................  Louisiana..................  2.....................  10/3/05
19.................................  New England................  1.....................  6/27/05
20.................................  Maryland, Northern VA & DC.  1.....................  6/27/05
21.................................  Michigan...................  4.....................  4/3/06
22.................................  Minnesota..................  2.....................  10/3/05
23.................................  Mississippi................  3.....................  1/3/06
24.................................  Missouri...................  2.....................  10/3/05
25.................................  Montana....................  2.....................  10/3/05
26.................................  Nebraska...................  2.....................  10/3/05
27.................................  Nevada.....................  1.....................  6/27/05
28.................................  Eastern PA, DE & Southern    1.....................  6/27/05
                                      NJ.
29.................................  New Mexico.................  4.....................  4/3/06
30.................................  Eastern Upstate NY.........  4.....................  4/3/06
31.................................  North Carolina.............  3.....................  1/3/06
32.................................  North Dakota...............  2.....................  10/3/05
33.................................  Ohio.......................  4.....................  4/3/06
34.................................  Oklahoma...................  2.....................  10/3/05
35.................................  Oregon.....................  1.....................  6/27/05
36.................................  Western PA.................  4.....................  4/3/06
37.................................  South Carolina.............  3.....................  1/3/06
38.................................  South Dakota...............  2.....................  10/3/05
39.................................  Tennessee..................  2.....................  10/3/05
40.................................  Texas (Central & Northeast)  2.....................  10/3/05
41.................................  Utah.......................  1.....................  6/27/05
42.................................  Virginia...................  1.....................  6/27/05
43.................................  Washington.................  4.....................  4/3/06
44.................................  West Virginia..............  2.....................  10/3/05

[[Page 21788]]

 
45.................................  Wisconsin (except Southern   1.....................  6/27/05
                                      Lake Michigan counties.
46.................................  Wyoming....................  2.....................  10/3/05
47.................................  Puerto Rico................  2.....................  10/3/05
48.................................  U.S. Virgin Islands........  2.....................  10/3/05
49.................................  Texas (Central--Austin       2.....................  10/3/05
                                      area).
50.................................  Texas (West & Central--      4.....................  4/3/06
                                      Midland area).
51.................................  Texas (East--Houston area).  2.....................  10/3/05
52.................................  Texas (Panhandle, High       2.....................  10/3/05
                                      Plains & Northwest--
                                      Lubbock Area).
53.................................  Texas (Southern--San         4.....................  4/3/06
                                      Antonio area).
54.................................  Southern Lake Michigan (MI,  1, [The counties in MI  6/27/05, [4/3/06 for
                                      WI, IL, & IN).               will be in Wave 4       Wave 4 systems]
                                                                   because of border
                                                                   area issues.].
55.................................  Western Upstate NY.........  4.....................  4/3/06
                                     Large non-public safety      Reconfiguration will
                                      systems that cover           begin in conjunction
                                      multiple NPSPAC regions      with the regions in
                                      assigned to different        the first wave in
                                      waves.                       which the licensee
                                                                   has a system to be
                                                                   reconfigured.
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[FR Doc. 05-8209 Filed 4-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P