[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 134 (Monday, July 13, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 41929-41930]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14885]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 1

[WT Docket No. 20-208; DA 20-685; FRS 16914]


Covered Geographic Licenses

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau of 
Federal Communications Commission amends rule section 1.907. The 
intended effect of the amendment to rule section 1.907 is to conform 
the rule with the Commission's intentions in recent rulemaking actions.

DATES: Effective July 13, 2020.

ADDRESSES: 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Quinley, Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau, Mobility Division, 202-418-1991 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Order in WT Docket 
No. 20-208, DA 20-685, released June 30, 2020. The full text of the 
Order is available for public inspection at the following internet 
address: https://www.fcc.gov/document/order-amending-commission-rule-section-1907. Alternative formats are available for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), by 
sending an email to [email protected] or calling the Consumer and 
Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice) or 202-418-0432 
(TTY).

Synopsis

    1. In this Order, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) 
makes a ministerial change to Commission rule section 1.907 regarding 
the Wireless Radio Services to conform the definition of ``Covered 
Geographic Licenses'' to the Commission's intentions in recent 
rulemaking actions.
    2. In the July 2019 2.5 GHz R&O, the Commission amended the 
definition of ``Covered Geographic Licenses'' in section 1.907 to add 
``Educational Broadband Service (part 27, subpart M).'' The Commission, 
however, deferred the effective date of the rule changes stemming from 
the 2.5 GHz R&O for six months from the date of Federal Register 
publication, and the rules became effective on April 27, 2020. In the 
February 2020 3.7 GHz R&O, the Commission amended the definition of 
``Covered Geographic Licenses'' in section 1.907 to add ``3.7 GHz 
Service (part 27, subpart O),'' but inadvertently omitted ``Educational 
Broadband Service (part 27, subpart M)'' from the definition. Although 
the 3.7 GHz R&O, as corrected by the Second Erratum, was published in 
the Federal Register on April 23, 2020, before the addition of 
Educational Broadband Service to section 1.907 became effective on 
April 27, 2020, the rule amendments stemming from the 3.7 GHz R&O 
became effective on June 22, 2020 after that addition, thereby 
inadvertently deleting it. As a result, ``Educational Broadband Service 
(part 27, subpart M)'' is no longer listed in the ``Covered Geographic 
Licenses'' definition.
    3. The Administrative Procedure Act allows an agency to forgo 
notice and comment ``when the agency for good cause finds . . . that 
notice and public procedure thereon are impracticable, unnecessary, or 
contrary to the public interest.'' Here, we find good cause on the 
grounds that the notice and comment procedure is unnecessary. The 
Commission added the term ``Educational Broadband Service (part 27, 
subpart M)'' to the definition of ``Covered Geographic Licenses'' 
pursuant to a full notice and comment process. The subsequent omission 
of that term was inadvertent. The reinsertion of ``Educational 
Broadband Service (part 27, subpart M)'' into the definition of 
``Covered Geographic Licenses'' in section 1.907 is therefore a routine 
correction to address an administrative oversight.
    4. Similarly, an agency may make a rule effective immediately upon 
publication in the Federal Register, rather than providing for a 30-day 
waiting period, if the agency finds ``good cause.'' In determining 
whether good cause exists for an amended rule to take effect fewer than 
30 days after Federal Register publication, an agency must ``balance 
the necessity for immediate implementation against principles of 
fundamental fairness which require that all affected persons be 
afforded a reasonable amount of time to prepare for the effective date 
of its ruling.'' The immediate implementation of the amended definition 
is necessary to avoid needlessly prolonging an obvious inaccuracy in 
the rule and delaying the return of the rule language to its clearly 
intended meaning. The immediate effective date also would not impose 
any burdens on affected persons. No additional time is necessary for 
affected persons to prepare for the effectiveness of the amended rule 
because it merely reinstates a term that had been published in its 
adopted form by the Commission six months before its effective date 
(i.e., from October 25, 2019, to April 27, 2020)--providing the public 
with a significantly longer preparatory period than the typically 
required minimum of 30 days--and which had been an effective part of 
the rule for almost two months thereafter, up until about a week ago, 
when its inadvertent deletion occurred (i.e., from April 27 until June 
22). In addition, the amended rule does not require affected parties to 
take, or refrain from taking, any particular action. Thus, we find good 
cause to make the amended rule effective upon Federal Register 
publication.
    5. Accordingly, is it ordered that, pursuant to sections 1, 4(i), 
5, 301, 303, and 307 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 
U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 155, 301, 303, 307, this Order is adopted.
    6. It is further ordered that the rule amendment adopted herein 
will become effective upon publication in the Federal Register.
    7. This action is taken under delegated authority pursuant to 
sections 0.131 and 0.331 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.131, 
0.331.

Lists of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 1

    Administrative practice and procedure.

Federal Communications Commission.
Amy Brett,
Associate Division Chief, Competition and Infrastructure Policy 
Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

Final Rule

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission 
amends 47 CFR part 1 as follows:

PART 1--PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

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

    Authority:  47 U.S.C. chs. 2, 5, 9, 13; 28 U.S.C. 2461, unless 
otherwise noted.


0
2. Section 1.907 is amended by revising the definition of ``covered 
geographic licenses'' to read as follows:


Sec.  1.907   Definitions.

* * * * *
    Covered geographic licenses. Covered geographic licenses consist of 
the following services: 1.4 GHz Service (part 27, subpart I, of this 
chapter); 1.6 GHz Service (part 27, subpart J); 24 GHz Service and 
Digital Electronic Message

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Services (part 101, subpart G, of this chapter); 218-219 MHz Service 
(part 95, subpart F, of this chapter); 220-222 MHz Service, excluding 
public safety licenses (part 90, subpart T, of this chapter); 600 MHz 
Service (part 27, subpart N); 700 MHz Commercial Services (part 27, 
subpart F and H); 700 MHz Guard Band Service (part 27, subpart G); 800 
MHz Specialized Mobile Radio Service (part 90, subpart S); 900 MHz 
Specialized Mobile Radio Service (part 90, subpart S); 3.7 GHz Service 
(part 27, subpart O); Advanced Wireless Services (part 27, subparts K 
and L); Air-Ground Radiotelephone Service (Commercial Aviation) (part 
22, subpart G, of this chapter); Broadband Personal Communications 
Service (part 24, subpart E, of this chapter); Broadband Radio Service 
(part 27, subpart M); Cellular Radiotelephone Service (part 22, subpart 
H); Citizens Broadband Radio Service (part 96, subpart C, of this 
chapter); Dedicated Short Range Communications Service, excluding 
public safety licenses (part 90, subpart M); Educational Broadband 
Service (part 27, subpart M); H Block Service (part 27, subpart K); 
Local Multipoint Distribution Service (part 101, subpart L); 
Multichannel Video Distribution and Data Service (part 101, subpart P); 
Multilateration Location and Monitoring Service (part 90, subpart M); 
Multiple Address Systems (EAs) (part 101, subpart O); Narrowband 
Personal Communications Service (part 24, subpart D); Paging and 
Radiotelephone Service (part 22, subpart E; part 90, subpart P); VHF 
Public Coast Stations, including Automated Maritime Telecommunications 
Systems (part 80, subpart J, of this chapter); Upper Microwave Flexible 
Use Service (part 30 of this chapter); and Wireless Communications 
Service (part 27, subpart D).
* * * * *

[FR Doc. 2020-14885 Filed 7-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P