[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 97 (Monday, May 20, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 22733-22734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10412]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 25

[GN Docket Nos. 18-122, 17-183; FCC 18-91]


Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final action; announcement of deadline date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the International Bureau, the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology 
announce the deadline and other details for filing the certifications 
and information required by the Commission's, Order and Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (Order), FCC 18-91. This document is consistent 
with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a 
document in the Federal Register announcing the deadline and other 
details for filing the certifications and information required by the 
Order.

DATES: The deadline date for submission of information is May 28, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathy Williams by email at 
[email protected] and telephone at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces the deadline and 
other details for filing the certifications and information required by 
the Order, FCC 18-91,\1\ published at 83 FR 42043, August 20, 2018.
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    \1\ Filers may seek confidential treatment for information they 
submit, pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459.
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    On July 13, 2018, the Commission released an Order that contained 
information collection requirements for earth station and satellite 
licensees regarding their current use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band.\2\ The 
Commission and the public will use the information collected to 
evaluate future use of the band.\3\ On January 28, 2019, the Office of 
Management and Budget approved these information collection 
requirements in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.\4\ In this 
document (Public Notice), the International Bureau, the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology 
announce the deadline and other details for filing the certifications 
and information required by the Order.\5\
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    \2\ Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band, Order and 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 33 FCC Rcd 6915, 6923-25, paras. 16-
25 (2018) (Order or Notice, as applicable).
    \3\ See, e.g., Order, 33 FCC Rcd 6923, para. 17.
    \4\ Notice of Office of Management and Budget Action, ICR Ref. 
No. 201811-3060-018 (Jan. 28, 2019), available at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201811-3060-018; 
Federal Communications Commission, Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 
to 4.2 GHz Band, 84 FR 13141, Apr. 4, 2019.
    \5\ Filers may seek confidential treatment for information they 
submit, pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459.
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Required Earth Station Filings

    Earth-station certifications. Operators of fixed-satellite service 
(FSS) earth stations in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band that are licensed or 
registered (authorized) in the International Bureau Filing System 
(IBFS), including temporary-fixed or transportable earth stations,\6\ 
must certify the accuracy of all information reflected on their 
licenses or registrations in IBFS. The certification must include the 
relevant call sign(s), file numbers, and applicant or registrant name, 
along with the following signed statement: ``The undersigned, 
individually and for the applicant, licensee, or registrant, hereby 
certifies that all information reflected in his or her licenses or 
registrations in IBFS, including any attached exhibits, are true, 
complete and correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, 
and have been made in good faith.'' The certification must be signed by 
an authorized representative for the licensee or registrant.
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    \6\ A temporary-fixed or transportable earth station is a fixed 
earth station that remains at a location for less than six months. 
See 47 CFR 25.277. These stations operate on a temporary basis and 
are variable in nature. A satellite news gathering truck is a common 
example of a temporary-fixed or transportable earth station.
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    Earth station operators that filed for new or modified licenses or 
registrations between April 19, 2018 and October 31, 2018, using the 
processes outlined in the Earth Station Filing Window Public 
Notices,\7\ are exempt from this certification requirement.\8\
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    \7\ Temporary Freeze on Applications for New or Modified Fixed 
Satellite Service Earth Stations and Fixed Microwave Stations in the 
3.7-4.2 GHz Band; 90-Day Window to File Applications for Earth 
Stations Currently Operating in 3.7-4.2 GHz Band, Public Notice, 31 
FCC Rcd 3841 (IB/PSHSB/WTB Apr. 19, 2018); International Bureau 
Announces 90-Day Extension of Filing Window, to October 17, 2018, to 
File Applications for Earth Stations Currently Operating in 3.7-4.2 
GHz Band, Filing Options for Operators with Multiple Earth Station 
Antennas, Public Notice, 31 FCC Rcd 6115 (IB June 21, 2018); 
International Bureau Announces Two-Week Extension of Filing Window 
for Earth Stations Currently Operating in 3.7-4.2 GHz Band, Public 
Notice, DA 18-1061 (IB Oct. 17, 2018).
    \8\ See Order, 33 FCC Rcd 6923, para. 19.
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    Temporary fixed or transportable earth stations. Operators of 
temporary-fixed or transportable FSS earth stations in the 3.7-4.2 GHz 
band that are licensed or registered (authorized) in IBFS must also 
provide the following

[[Page 22734]]

information regardless of when they were licensed or registered:
     Earth station call sign (or IBFS file number if a 
registration filed between April 19, 2018, and October 31, 2018, is 
pending);
     Address where the equipment is typically stored;
     The area within which the equipment is typically used;
     How often the equipment is used and the duration of such 
use (i.e., please provide examples of typical deployments, e.g., 
operation x days a week at sports arenas within a radius of y miles of 
its home base);
     Number of transponders typically used in the 3.7-4.2 GHz 
band and extent of use on both the uplink and downlink; and
     Licensee/registrant and point of contact information.\9\
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    \9\ See Order, 33 FCC Rcd 6923-24, paras. 19-21.
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    All earth station operators, including those exempt from the 
requirements of this Public Notice, are required to update their 
information in IBFS in the event of a change in contact information or 
any of the operational parameters.\10\
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    \10\ See Sections 25.117 (Modifications of station license), 
25.118 (Modification not requiring prior authorization), and 25.171 
(Contact information reporting requirements).
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Required Space Station Data

    Operators with existing FSS space station licenses with coverage of 
the United States or grants of United States market access in the 3.7-
4.2 GHz band must provide the following information:
     Satellite call sign, name, and orbital location;
     Expected end-of-life for satellite;
     The approximate dates that any additional C-band (3.7-4.2 
GHz band) satellites with a currently pending application in IBFS are 
planned for launch to serve the United States market (note whether this 
satellite is a replacement);
     Any additional C-band satellites that do not have a 
currently pending application in IBFS that are planned for launch to 
serve the United States market and the approximate date of such launch 
(note whether this satellite is a replacement);
     For each transponder on each satellite operating in the 
3.7-4.2 GHz range that is operational and legally authorized to serve 
customers in the United States, provide the following for the most 
recent month, i.e., for March 2019:
     The frequency range of the transponder and the transponder 
number; \11\
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    \11\ For purposes of this information collection, ``transponder 
number'' refers to a standard 36 megahertz wide transponder and that 
transponder numbering (1-24) is based on the former center-frequency 
requirement for C-band space stations. See 47 CFR 25.211(a) (2014). 
Although this rule is no longer in effect, most satellites providing 
service to the United States in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band are configured 
in accordance with the transponder plan described in the rule.
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     The total capacity (megahertz) and in terms of the number 
of megahertz on each transponder that are currently under contract 
(also provide this data for one month in 2016);
     For each day in March 2019, the average percentage of each 
transponder's capacity (megahertz) utilized and the maximum percentage 
of capacity utilized on that day. Parties may supplement this required 
daily data for March 2019 with historical trend data over recent months 
up to three years (provide the date range at which the data was 
collected) to show utilization variances; and
     For all data reported regarding capacity under contract 
and capacity utilization, specify the percentage (if any) only for 
customers outside of the United States.
     The center frequency and bandwidth of the Telemetry 
Tracking and Command (TT&C) beam(s); and
     The call sign and geographic location (using NAD83 
coordinates) of each TT&C receive site.

Filing Procedures

    All information required by the Order, and repeated in the Public 
Notice, must be submitted electronically in IBFS, https://licensing.fcc.gov/myibfs, using the ``Pleadings and Comments'' link. 
Fixed, temporary fixed, and transportable earth station licensees must 
file certifications as a pleading type ``C-band certification'' for 
each call sign. Temporary fixed and transportable earth station 
licensees and space station licensees must file the additional earth 
station and space station data requested above using the pleading type 
``Other'' for each call sign.

Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

    We have estimated that your response to this collection of 
information will take 6 hours per response (additional information on 
temporary fixed earth stations in 3.7-4.2 GHz) and 40 hours per 
response (additional information on space stations in 3.7-4.2 GHz).\12\ 
Our estimate includes the time to read the instructions, look through 
existing records, gather and maintain required data, and actually 
complete and review the form or response. If you have any comments on 
this estimate, or on how we can improve the collection and reduce the 
burden it causes you, please write the Federal Communications 
Commission, Office of Managing Director, AMD PERM, Washington, DC 
20554, Paperwork Reduction Act Project (3060 0678). We will also accept 
your PRA comments via the internet if you send an email to [email protected]. 
Please DO NOT SEND COMPLETED CERTIFICATIONS OR DATA TO THIS ADDRESS.
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    \12\ The earth station certification requirement is not 
considered information for purposes of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
and as such is not included in the estimated burden hours. See 5 CFR 
1320.3(h)(1).
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    You are not required to respond to a collection of information 
sponsored by the Federal government, and the government may not conduct 
or sponsor this collection, unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and/or we fail to provide you with this document. This 
collection has been assigned an OMB control number of 3060-0678.
    This document is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-10412 Filed 5-17-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P