[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 1, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 45503-45508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18575]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 90

[WP Docket No. 07-100; PS Docket No. 06-229; WT Docket No. 06-150; FCC 
12-61]


4.9 GHz Band

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commission adopts rule changes to three aspects of the 
technical provisions of part 90 of the Commission's rules pertaining to 
public safety operations. All of these changes are designed to correct 
typographical or other ministerial errors in these provisions. First, 
the Commission reinstates a rule provision that exempted 4940-4990 MHz 
(4.9 GHz) band applicants from certified frequency coordination. Next, 
the Commission corrects the bandwidth of Channel 14 in the 4.9 GHz band 
plan from five megahertz to one megahertz, and amends the band plan to 
list the center frequencies for each channel aggregation permitted in 
the rules. Finally, the Commission corrects minor errors in the Public 
Safety Pool Frequency Table and associated list of limitations. All of 
these changes are designed to correct typographical or other 
ministerial errors in these provisions. These changes affecting the 4.9 
GHz band in particular will improve spectrum efficiency and clarify the 
rules so as to encourage greater use of the 4.9 GHz band.

DATES: Effective August 31, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Eng, Policy and Licensing 
Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal 
Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554, 
at (202) 418-0019, TTY (202) 418-7233, or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Fourth 
Report and Order in WP Docket No. 07-100; PS Docket No. 06-229; WT 
Docket No. 06-150; adopted and released on June 13, 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., in person at 445 12th Street 
SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, via telephone at (202) 488-
5300, via

[[Page 45504]]

facsimile at (202) 488-5563, or via email at [email protected]. 
Alternative formats (computer diskette, large print, audio cassette, 
and Braille) are available to persons with disabilities or by sending 
an email to [email protected] or calling the Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530, TTY (202) 418-0432. This document is 
also available on the Commission's Web site at http://www.fcc.gov.

Introduction and Background

    In this Fourth Report and Order and Fifth Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (Fourth Report and Order and Fifth Further Notice, 
respectively), we adopt rule changes to Part 90 of the Commission's 
rules pertaining to public safety operations in the 4940-4990 MHz (4.9 
GHz) band to clarify, as well as correct certain provisions in the 
technical rules and several entries in the Public Safety Pool Frequency 
Table and associated list of limitations. In April 2009, the Commission 
released the Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
(Report and Order and Further Notice, respectively) to ``encourag[e] 
public safety users to more fully utilize the 4.9 GHz band'' for 
broadband communications. In the Report and Order, the Commission 
amended part 90 of the Commission's rules to permit licensing in the 
4.9 GHz band, on a primary basis, of permanent fixed links used to 
deliver broadband services. In the Further Notice, the Commission 
proposed (1) to reinstate a provision that had previously exempted 4.9 
GHz band applicants from certified frequency coordination, (2) to 
require instead that applicants for 4.9 GHz primary permanent fixed 
stations complete the formalized licensee-to-licensee coordination 
process established in part 101 for fixed microwave stations, (3) to 
correct an error in the band plan for the 4.9 GHz band and clarify how 
channels may be aggregated, and (4) to correct additional errors in the 
Public Safety Pool Frequency Table and associated list of limitations.
    The Commission received five comments and two reply comments in 
response to the Further Notice. None of the commenters raised any 
question about these proposals, with the exception of the proposed 
licensee-to-licensee coordination process, for which a majority of 
commenters proposed database and registration approaches as 
alternatives. By this Fourth Report and Order, we adopt the proposals 
from the Further Notice except for the licensee-to-licensee 
coordination process. In order to permit further comment on proposals 
for coordination, we further explore 4.9 GHz coordination in the Fifth 
Further Notice.

Fourth Report and Order

    In this Fourth Report and Order, we adopt rule changes to three 
aspects of the technical provisions of part 90 of the Commission's 
rules pertaining to public safety operations. All of these changes are 
designed to correct typographical or other ministerial errors in these 
provisions. First, we reinstate a rule provision, formerly codified at 
Sec.  90.175(j)(17) of the Commission's rules but inadvertently deleted 
in 2004, that exempted 4.9 GHz band applicants from certified frequency 
coordination. Next, we correct the bandwidth of Channel 14 in the 4.9 
GHz band plan from five megahertz to one megahertz, and amend the band 
plan to list the center frequencies for each channel aggregation 
permitted in the rules. Finally, we correct minor errors in the Public 
Safety Pool Frequency Table and associated list of limitations. These 
changes will improve spectrum efficiency and clarify provisions of the 
rules so as to encourage greater use of the 4.9 GHz band. Their costs 
are negligible, because they would impose no apparent investment or 
expenditure requirements on any affected entities to achieve 
compliance.

4.9 GHz General Exemption From Certified Frequency Coordination

    In the Further Notice, the Commission sought comment on its 
proposal to amend Sec.  90.175(j) of the Commission's rules to restore 
an exemption for applications for 4.9 GHz band frequencies from 
certified frequency coordination requirements. The rationale for this 
exemption had been that all of these frequencies are subject to shared 
use and thus already require cooperation and coordination under the 
Commission's rules. The Commission tentatively concluded that an 
unrelated rulemaking had overwritten this exemption in 2004 by 
ministerial error.
    Harris Corporation (Harris) and the National Public Safety 
Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) filed comments in support of 
restoring the exemption. Harris states that ``[c]ertification of 
coordination is unnecessary given local government's interest in 
maximizing use and avoiding interference among its various public 
safety agencies.'' Harris further notes that ``as more public safety 
communications planning (particularly with regard to interoperable 
communications like that envisioned for the 4.9 GHz band) is done at 
the state level, there is inherently more state and local-government 
coordination amongst public safety agencies.'' As the Commission 
observed in the Further Notice, the omission has been in effect for a 
substantial period of time, and some entities may be operating under 
the assumption that formal coordination from a certified frequency 
coordinator is required for 4.9 GHz applications. Given the inadvertent 
nature of the deletion of this provision from the rules, and the lack 
of comments objecting to its reinstatement, we reinstate the provision 
exempting 4.9 GHz band applicants from certified frequency coordination 
requirements. For the reasons identified by Harris, clarifying our 
existing rule has clear benefits, and we do not currently believe that 
the benefits associated with unintended certified frequency 
coordination procedures outweigh their costs to public safety entities. 
Notwithstanding the exemption from certified frequency coordination 
requirements, however, we continue to believe, as we noted in the 
Further Notice, that ``additional measures are required to minimize the 
potential for interference.'' Accordingly, we explore possible 
additional coordination requirements in the Fifth Further Notice, 
including those advanced by commenters in response to the Further 
Notice.

4.9 GHz Band Plan Correction and Clarification

    The Commission also sought comment on a proposal to correct the 
bandwidth for channel number 14 in Sec.  90.1213 of the Commission's 
rules from five megahertz to one megahertz. The original designation of 
five megahertz bandwidth to channel 14 in the Commission's rules 
appears to have been a ministerial error, as it renders the band plan 
assymetrical and is the only channel in the band plan that has 
bandwidth overlap with the adjacent channels. In the Further Notice, 
the Commission noted that this correction would eliminate bandwidth 
overlap with adjacent channels, improve spectrum efficiency, restore 
symmetry to the band plan, and reflect the correct allocation between 
one-megahertz and five-megahertz channels that the Commission had 
actually specified in the 4.9 GHz Third Report and Order. The 
Commission further proposed to grandfather existing licensees to 
minimize the effect of this clarification on existing operations. Also, 
for the purpose of clarifying channel centers for various channel 
aggregations, the Commission sought comment on a proposal to amend the 
table in Sec.  90.1213 to list the center frequencies that should be 
requested on applications, for every possible channel aggregation 
permitted

[[Page 45505]]

in the rules. NPSTC expressed support for this proposal, and no parties 
opposed it.
    Because the Commission's proposed clarification for Sec.  90.1213 
would correct a discrepancy in the codification of the rule, and the 
amended table will help 4.9 GHz applicants specify on their 
applications the correct center frequency for any given channel 
aggregation as permitted in the rules, we adopt these two changes to 
the 4.9 GHz band plan. We grandfather any existing licensees that are 
authorized for greater than one megahertz bandwidth on channel 14 or 
for non-standard center frequencies. This will relieve existing 
licensees from burdens and costs that would be required to comply with 
these changes. Since the 4.9 GHz band is lightly used today relative to 
other public safety bands, we do not believe that grandfathering will 
cause significant problems, which could include cases of mutual 
bandwidth overlap interference between existing licensees on channel 14 
with five megahertz bandwidth and licensees on adjacent channels.

Public Safety Pool Corrections

    The Commission also sought comment on a proposal to implement three 
amendments to correct ministerial errors in the Public Safety Pool 
Frequency Table and associated list of limitations, each of which would 
clarify our rules and eliminate the potential for confusion. As none of 
these three amendments was opposed, we thus adopt each of them. None of 
the changes will restrict or limit licensee operation beyond what is 
currently authorized by our rules, and thus we find no need to 
grandfather incumbent licensees from the effect of any of them.
    First, in the Sec.  90.20(d)(66)(i) table of frequency pairs, the 
Commission proposed to correct the mobile-only frequency for Channel 
MED-4 from 463.075 MHz to 468.075 MHz. We confirm our tentative 
conclusion that the current rule reflects a typographical error. The 
error is evidenced by the absence of any rule change to explain it and 
the fact that all other mobile only frequencies in this table are in 
the 468 MHz range while the listed frequency at issue here (463.075 
MHz) already appears in the ``Frequencies base and mobile (megahertz)'' 
column of the table.
    Second, in the Sec.  90.20(c)(3) table of Public Safety Pool 
frequencies, the Commission proposed to replace limitation 38 with 
limitation 10 on nine medical service frequencies. In 2005, the 
Commission issued an order that, inter alia, replaced limitation 38 
with limitation 10 in the Public Safety Pool Frequency Table because 
the two limitations were identical. Today, limitation 38 is 
``reserved'' and thus devoid of any actual regulation, but the 
Commission never has completed the limitation replacement in the table 
of frequencies. Today's action will correct this oversight.
    Third, the Commission proposed to amend Sec.  90.20(c)(3) by 
replacing the text in the limitation column ``O='xl'<=72'' for the 1427 
to 1432 MHz band with the numeral ``72.'' As explained in the Further 
Notice, this correction will clarify our intention to apply limitation 
72 to this band.
    After further scrutiny of the Public Safety Pool Frequency Table, 
we identified another typographical error in the table not previously 
identified in the Further Notice. In the original 2007 Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking and Order in WP Docket No. 07-100, the Commission 
made ``certain minor editorial amendments to part 90 to correct errors 
or omissions of publication, eliminate duplicative language, or conform 
language among rule sections.'' Among these changes, the Commission 
deleted ``obsolete references to Sec.  90.20(d)(60) and (61).'' 
However, when the Commission deleted limitations 60 and 61 for 
frequencies 453.03125 and 453.04375 MHz in the Public Safety Pool 
Frequency Table, the Commission also changed limitation number 59 to 49 
on these frequencies without explanation. These additional changes were 
the result of typographical errors. Limitation 49 states that ``[t]his 
frequency may be assigned only for forest firefighting and conservation 
activities in accordance with the provisions of Sec.  90.265,'' but 
frequencies 453.03125 and 453.04375 MHz do not appear in that section. 
In contrast, limitation 59 states that ``[t]he continuous carrier mode 
of operation may be used for telemetry transmission on this 
frequency.'' The telemetry focus of limitation 59 is consistent with 
limitation 62, which also applies to these frequencies. We take this 
opportunity to correct these errors and change limitation number 49 
back to 59 on these frequencies. Because we are merely correcting a 
typographical error to restore the original language of the rule, we 
find for good cause that prior notice and comment on the correction are 
unnecessary.

Procedural Matters

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, see 5 U.S.C. 
603, the Commission has prepared a Final Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis (FRFA) and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) of 
the possible significant economic impact on small entities of the 
policies and rules addressed in this document. The FRFA is set forth in 
Appendix C and the IRFA is set forth in Appendix E of the Fourth Report 
and Order and Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The 
Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Reference 
Information Center, will send a copy of the Fourth Report and Order and 
Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, including this FRFA and 
IRFA, to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration (SBA). See 5 U.S.C. 603(a).

Paperwork Reduction Act Analysis

    This Fourth Report and Order does not contain new or modified 
information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13. In addition, therefore, the 
Fourth Report and Order does not contain any new or modified 
information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act 
of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).

Congressional Review Act

    The Commission will send a copy of the Fourth Report and Order and 
Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Congress and the 
Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional Review 
Act (``CRA''), see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

Ordering Clauses

    Accordingly, we order, pursuant to sections 1, 4(i), 301, 302, 303, 
316, and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 
301, 302, 303, 316, and 403, that this Fourth Report and Order and 
Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is hereby adopted.
    We further order and amend part 90 of the Commission's rules as 
specified in Appendix B, effective thirty days after publication of the 
Fourth Report and Order and Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
in the Federal Register.
    We further order that the Commission's Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau, Reference Center, shall send a copy of this Fourth 
Report and Order and Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 
including the Final and Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analyses, to the

[[Page 45506]]

Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 90

    Communications equipment; Radio.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.

Final Rules

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR part 90 as follows:

PART 90--PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES

0
1. The authority citation for part 90 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sections 4(i), 11, 303(g), 303(r), and 332(c)(7) of 
the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 161, 
303(g), 303(r), and 332(c)(7).


0
2. Section 90.20 is amended as follows:
0
a. In paragraph (c)(3), Public Safety Pool Frequency Table, revise 
entries ``453.03125,'' ``453.04375,'' ``462.950,'' ``467.950,'' 
``467.95625,'' ``467.9625,'' ``467.96875,'' ``467.975,'' ``467.98125,'' 
``467.9875,'' ``467.99375'' and ``1,427 to 1,432'';
0
b. In paragraph (d)(66)(i), revise entry ``463.075''.
    The revisions read as follows:


Sec.  90.20  Public Safety Pool.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (3) * * *

                                       Public Safety Pool Frequency Table
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Frequency or band                 Class of station(s)       Limitations           Coordinator
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
                                                    Megahertz
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
453.03125..............................  Base or mobile............  44, 59, 62, 84  PM
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
453.04375..............................  ......do..................  44, 59, 62, 84  PM
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
462.950................................  ......do..................          10, 65  PM
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
467.950................................  ......do..................          10, 65  PM
467.95625..............................  ......do..................      10, 44, 65  PM
467.9625...............................  ......do..................      10, 27, 65  PM
467.96875..............................  ......do..................      10, 44, 65  PM
467.975................................  ......do..................          10, 65  PM
467.98125..............................  ......do..................      10, 44, 65  PM
467.9875...............................  ......do..................      10, 27, 65  PM
467.99375..............................  ......do..................      10, 44, 65  PM
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
1,427 to 1,432.........................  Base, mobile or                         72
                                          operational fixed.
 
                                                  * * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (66) * * *
    (i) * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Frequencies base and mobile        Mobile only
             (megahertz)                   (MHz)         Channel name
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                              * * * * * * *
463.075.............................         468.075  MED-4
 
                              * * * * * * *
------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *

0
3. Section 90.175 is amended by adding paragraph (j)(22) to read as 
follows:


Sec.  90.175  Frequency coordinator requirements.

* * * * *
    (j) * * *
    (22) Applications for frequencies in the 4940-4990 MHz band. See 
Sec.  90.1209 of this chapter for further information.

0
4. Section 90.1213 is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  90.1213  Band plan.

    (a) The following channel center frequencies are permitted to be 
aggregated for channel bandwidths of 5, 10, 15 or 20 MHz as described 
in paragraph (b) of this section. Channel numbers 1 through 5 and 14 
through 18 are 1 MHz bandwidth channels, and channel numbers 6 through 
13 are 5 MHz bandwidth channels.

[[Page 45507]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Bandwidth     Channel
           Center  frequency  (MHz)                (MHz)         Nos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4940.5........................................            1            1
4941.5........................................            1            2
4942.5........................................            1            3
4943.5........................................            1            4
4944.5........................................            1            5
4947.5........................................            1            6
4952.5........................................            1            7
4957.5........................................            1            8
4962.5........................................            1            9
4967.5........................................            1           10
4972.5........................................            1           11
4977.5........................................            1           12
4982.5........................................            1           13
4985.5........................................            1           14
4986.5........................................            1           15
4987.5........................................            1           16
4988.5........................................            1           17
4989.5........................................            1           18
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (b) The following tables list center frequencies to be licensed for 
aggregated channels only. A license may contain any combination of 
bandwidths from aggregated channels provided that the bandwidths do not 
overlap. The bandwidth edges (lower and upper frequencies) are provided 
to aid in planning.
    (1) 5 MHz bandwidth aggregation:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Lower           Upper
            Center frequency (MHz)                    Channel Nos. employed          frequency       frequency
                                                                                       (MHz)           (MHz)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4942.5........................................  1 to 5 *........................            4940            4945
4947.5........................................  6...............................            4945            4950
4952.5........................................  7...............................            4950            4955
4957.5........................................  8...............................            4955            4960
4962.5........................................  9...............................            4960            4965
4967.5........................................  10..............................            4965            4970
4972.5........................................  11..............................            4970            4975
4977.5........................................  12..............................            4975            4980
4982.5........................................  13..............................            4980            4985
4987.5........................................  14 to 18 *......................            4985            4990
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Licensees should avoid using these channels in aggregations unless all other channels are blocked.

    (2) 10 MHz bandwidth aggregation:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Lower           Upper
            Center frequency (MHz)                    Channel Nos. employed          frequency       frequency
                                                                                       (MHz)           (MHz)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4945..........................................  1 to 6 *........................            4940            4950
4950..........................................  6 & 7...........................            4945            4955
4955..........................................  7 & 8...........................            4950            4960
4960..........................................  8 & 9...........................            4955            4965
4965..........................................  9 & 10..........................            4960            4970
4970..........................................  10 & 11.........................            4965            4975
4975..........................................  11 & 12.........................            4970            4980
4980..........................................  12 & 13.........................            4975            4985
4985..........................................  13 to 18 *......................            4980            4990
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Licensees should avoid using these channels in aggregations unless all other channels are blocked.

    (3) 15 MHz bandwidth aggregation:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Lower           Upper
            Center frequency (MHz)                    Channel Nos. employed          frequency       frequency
                                                                                       (MHz)           (MHz)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4947.5........................................  1 to 7 *........................            4940            4955
4952.5........................................  6 to 8..........................            4945            4960
4957.5........................................  7 to 9..........................            4950            4965
4962.5........................................  8 to 10.........................            4955            4970
4967.5........................................  9 to 11.........................            4960            4975
4972.5........................................  10 to 12........................            4965            4980
4977.5........................................  11 to 13........................            4970            4985
4982.5........................................  12 to 18 *......................            4975            4990
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Licensees should avoid using these channels in aggregations unless all other channels are blocked.

    (4) 20 MHz bandwidth aggregation:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Lower           Upper
            Center frequency (MHz)                    Channel Nos. employed          frequency       frequency
                                                                                       (MHz)           (MHz)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4950..........................................  1 to 8 *........................            4940            4960

[[Page 45508]]

 
4955..........................................  6 to 9..........................            4945            4965
4960..........................................  7 to 10.........................            4950            4970
4965..........................................  8 to 11.........................            4955            4975
4970..........................................  9 to 12.........................            4960            4980
4975..........................................  10 to 13........................            4965            4985
4980..........................................  11 to 18 *......................            4970            4990
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Licensees should avoid using these channels in aggregations unless all other channels are blocked.


[FR Doc. 2012-18575 Filed 7-31-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P