[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 130 (Friday, July 6, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31515-31516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14460]



[[Page 31515]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 1 and 27

[WT Docket No. 18-120; DA 18-647]


Transforming the 2.5 GHz Band

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: On June 21, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission or FCC) extended the comment period on the Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to seek comments on proposed service rules 
that allow more efficient and effective use of 2.5 GHz band. The 
Commission has extended the comment period by 30 days to serve the 
public interest by providing interested parties additional time to 
develop more full and complete responses to the 2.5 GHz NPRM.

DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published June 7, 2018 (83 FR 
26396) is extended. Comments are due on or before August 8, 2018; reply 
comments are due on or before September 7, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by WT Docket No. 18-120, 
by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Federal Communications Commission's Website: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request reasonable 
accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: [email protected], phone: 202-418-0530 
or TTY: 202-418-0432.
    For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For further information contact John 
J. Schauble of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Broadband 
Division, at 202-418-0797 or by email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order, 
WT Docket No. 18-120 DA 18-647, adopted on June 21, 2018 and released 
on June 21, 2018. The complete text of this document is available for 
public inspection and copying from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time 
(ET) Monday through Thursday or from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET on Fridays 
in the FCC Reference Information Center, 445 12th Street SW, Room CY-
A257, Washington, DC 20554. The complete text is available on the 
Commission's website at https://www.fcc.gov/edocs/search-results?t=advanced&daNo=18-647. Alternative formats are available to 
persons with disabilities by sending an email to [email protected] or by 
calling the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 
(voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty).

Comment Filing Procedures

    Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments and reply 
comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this 
document. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic 
Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in 
Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the website 
for submitting comments. In completing the transmittal screen, filers 
should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, 
and the applicable docket number, WT Docket No. 18-120.
     Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket 
or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers 
must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or 
rulemaking number.
    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, 
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 St. SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours 
are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together 
with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes 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 9050 Junction Dr., 
Annapolis Junction, Annapolis MD 20701.
     U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority 
mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street SW, Washington DC 20554.
    People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 888-
835-5322 (tty).

I. Background

    1. By this Order, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau grants, in 
part, two separate requests to extend the deadlines for comments and 
reply comments in the above-captioned rulemaking proceeding.
    2. On May 10, 2018, the Commission released a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking proposing to allow more efficient and effective use of the 
2.5 GHz band by providing greater flexibility to current Educational 
Broadband Service (EBS) licensees as well as providing new 
opportunities for additional entities to obtain unused 2.5 GHz spectrum 
to facilitate improved access to next generation wireless broadband, 
including 5G. On June 7, 2018, the summary of the 2.5 GHz NPRM was 
published in the Federal Register, which established a comment deadline 
of July 9, 2018, and a reply comment deadline of August 6, 2018.
    3. The National EBS Association and the Catholic Technology Network 
(NEBSA/CTN) have jointly requested an extension of time for the filing 
of comments in the proceeding. They request that the filing dates in 
this proceeding be extended to August 23, 2018, for comments, and 
September 20, 2018, for reply comments. NEBSA and CTN welcome the 
Commission's decision to open the proceeding to license unassigned 
spectrum and note that the 2.5 GHz NPRM also ``raises a host of other 
very significant issues about nearly all aspects of the EBS band.'' 
They argue, ``By extending the comment cycle for an additional 45 days, 
the Commission can ensure that the EBS community has an adequate 
opportunity to evaluate and respond to the important issues raised in 
the'' 2.5 GHz NPRM.
    4. The Joint Stakeholders have also requested an extension of time 
for the filing of comments in the proceeding. They request that the 
filing dates in this proceeding be extended for 60 days. The Joint 
Stakeholders welcome the ``Commission's decision to initiate this 
rulemaking, which has the potential to

[[Page 31516]]

(1) expand educational broadband benefits to more students, schools, 
and families; (2) foster broadband deployment in rural areas, including 
on tribal lands, many of which have limited or no service today; and 
(3) accelerate the deployment of 5G wireless networks to more 
Americans. They argue that the ``issues raised by the NPRM are as 
complex as they are important'' and that ``complex geospatial analysis 
is required . . .'' In addition, they allege that this proceeding is 
not routine, and that the current timing falls during the summer which 
is particularly difficult for schools and educators.
    5. As set forth in section 1.46 of the Commission's rules, the 
Commission's policy is that extensions of time for filing comments in 
rulemaking proceedings shall not be routinely granted. In this case, 
however, the Commission finds that the number, scope, and importance of 
the questions asked in the 2.5 GHz NPRM warrant a partial extension of 
the comment and reply comment deadlines. While NEBSA and CTN seek an 
extension of 45 days, and the Joint Stakeholders seek an extension of 
60 days, the Commission believes that an extension of 30 days will 
adequately serve the public interest by providing interested parties 
additional time to develop more full and complete responses to the 2.5 
GHz NPRM and promote a more comprehensive record, without resulting in 
undue delay. Thus, comments are now due August 8, 2018 and reply 
comments due by September 7, 2018.
    6. Accordingly, It is ordered that, pursuant to Section 4(i) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), and Section 
1.46 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.46, the motions for extension 
of time filed NEBSA/CTN and the Joint Stakeholders are granted in part, 
and otherwise denied. The deadline for filing comments in this 
proceeding is extended to August 8, 2018, and the deadline for filing 
reply comments is extended to September 7, 2018.

Federal Communications Commission.
John Schauble,
Deputy Chief, Broadband Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2018-14460 Filed 7-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P