[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 15, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34764-34765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-11644]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[WT Docket No. 02-55; DA 05-1546]


NPSPAC Regions Assigned to Wave 1 and Specific 800 MHz 
Reconfiguration Benchmark Compliance Dates

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As part of the 800 MHz band reconfiguration process, the 
Commission stated that it would issue a public notice thirty days 
before reconfiguration is scheduled to start in each NPSPAC region. 
Each such public notice will specify a three-month voluntary 
negotiation period during which time identified licensees in the 
regions being reconfigured are encouraged to reach agreement with 
Nextel on the details of relocating. The voluntary negotiation period 
would be followed by a three-month mandatory negotiation period, if 
necessary. The Commission also stated that it would freeze the filing 
of certain 800 MHz applications for the regions being reconfigured when 
it issued a public notice announcing the date when voluntary 
negotiation of relocation agreements must be concluded. The Commission 
explained that this freeze is necessary in order to maintain a stable 
spectral landscape during the reconfiguration process in each region. 
Finally, the Commission noted that the start date for reconfiguration 
in the first NPSPAC region will also be the start date for computation 
of two interim reconfiguration benchmarks (eighteen and thirty months) 
and the start date for determining when reconfiguration must be 
completed (thirty-six months).

DATES: This notice announces that 800 MHz band reconfiguration shall 
commence on June 27, 2005.

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 May 27, 2005.
    1. In July 2004, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 
adopted a Report and Order (69 FR 67823, November 22, 2004), which 
reconfigured the 800 MHz band to eliminate interference to public 
safety and other land mobile communication systems operating in the 
band. As specified in the Report and Order, the

[[Page 34765]]

band reconfiguration process is being overseen by a Transition 
Administrator (TA) which has provided 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 March 11, 2005, the Bureau approved the TA's basic 
800 MHz band reconfiguration schedule, i.e., the grouping of the NPSPAC 
regions into four waves (Waves 1-4) and starting the reconfiguration 
process in each wave on the dates recommended by the TA.
    2. In a public notice released on May 27, 2005, the Commission 
announced that the 800 MHz band reconfiguration process for non-NPSPAC 
channels will start June 27, 2005, in the NPSPAC regions assigned to 
Wave 1. A list of NPSPAC regions assigned to Wave 1 is attached to this 
notice. Therefore, the three-month period during which non-NPSPAC 800 
MHz licensees have the option of negotiating on a voluntary basis will 
end September 26, 2005, followed by a the three-month mandatory 
negotiation period that will end December 26, 2005.
    3. The Commission also announced that, effective May 27, 2005, it 
froze the filing of 800 MHz applications for non-NPSPAC channels in 
Wave 1. The freeze applies to stations located in either (1) one of the 
NPSPAC regions assigned to Wave 1 or (2) an adjacent region but within 
70 miles of the border of one of the Wave 1 regions. This freeze will 
last until thirty working days after the date for completion of 
mandatory negotiations as specified above, i.e., until February 8, 
2006. The freeze does not apply to modification applications filed to 
implement 800 MHz band reconfiguration, modification applications filed 
that do not change a 800 MHz frequency or expand a 800 MHz station's 
existing coverage area (e.g., administrative updates), assignments/
transfers, or renewal-only applications.
    4. The release date of the May 27, 2005 public notice also 
established the eighteen, thirty and thirty-six month reconfiguration 
benchmark compliance dates as defined in the Report and Order and 
Supplemental Order. Therefore, Nextel Communications, Inc., must (i) 
relocate all but Nextel and SouthernLINC incumbents from Channels 1-120 
in the first twenty NPSPAC regions scheduled for reconfiguration and 
(ii) initiate retuning negotiations with all NPSPAC licensees in those 
same regions by December 26, 2006, (eighteen month benchmark) and that 
all applicable systems must have commenced reconfiguration by December 
26, 2007 (thirty month benchmark). The 800 MHz band reconfiguration 
must be completed by June 26, 2008 (thirty-six month benchmark).
    5. To facilitate the 800 MHz reconfiguration process, the 
Commission has established the following new radio service codes for 
licenses that list 800 MHz band frequencies governed by part 90 of the 
Commission's Rules:
    Site specific licenses:
     Public safety (conventional)--GE
     Public safety (trunked)--YE
     Business/Industrial/Land Transportation (conventional)--GJ
     Business/Industrial/Land Transportation (trunked)--YJ
     SMR (conventional)--GM and GL (The GL code is used only 
for applications listing both 800 MHz and 900 MHz frequencies)
     SMR (trunked)--YM and YL (The YL code is used only for 
applications listing both 800 MHz and 900 MHz frequencies)
    Geographic area licenses:

              Attachment--NPSPAC Regions Assigned to Wave 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  NPSPAC
  Region                      Description of Region \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
        6   California (Northern)
        7   Colorado
        8   NY City area (NY, NJ, & CT)
       11   Hawaii
       13   Illinois (except Southern Lake Michigan counties)
       14   Indiana (except Southern Lake Michigan counties)
       19   New England
       20   Maryland, Northern VA & DC
       27   Nevada
       28   Eastern PA, DE & Southern NJ
       35   Oregon
       41   Utah
       42   Virginia
       45   Wisconsin (except Southern Lake Michigan counties)
       54   Southern Lake Michigan (MI, WI, IL, & IN) \2\
        *   Large non-public safety systems that cover multiple NPSPAC
             regions \3\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Regions that are only a portion of a state or states are defined by
  counties. A list of the counties in each of these regions can be
  accessed at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/Orders/1998/fcc98191.txt.
2 The counties in Michigan in Region 54 will be in Wave 4 because of
  border area issues. See TA Plan.
3 Large non-public safety systems that provide coverage beyond the
  border of NPSPAC regions in Wave 1 will have their entire system,
  including base stations located outside the boundaries of Wave 1
  NPSPAC regions, reconfigured as part of the Wave 1 reconfiguration
  process.

     SMR, market area--YH and CY (The CY code is used only for 
applications listing both 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz frequencies)
    6. The Commission's Universal Licensing System (ULS) will 
automatically update modification applications filed to implement 800 
MHz band reconfiguration to show the appropriate new radio service code 
(i.e., applicants should file using their current radio service codes). 
Once the radio service code has been changed on the license by the 
Commission, licensees filing subsequent applications concerning that 
license must use the new radio service code.
    7. The Reconfiguration Plan filed by the TA is available on the 
Commission's 800 MHz band reconfiguration Web page at http://www.800MHz.gov. Questions concerning the plan, 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.
[FR Doc. 05-11644 Filed 6-14-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P