[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]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P