[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 174 (Monday, September 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73088-73089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19068]


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

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[GN Docket No. 24-248; DA 24-815; FR ID 240542]


Information Sought on Sharing in the 18 GHz Band in Connection 
With the National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission's 
Space and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus and the Offices of 
International Affairs and Engineering and Technology seek information 
on sharing in the 18 GHz band in connection with the National Spectrum 
Strategy Implementation Plan.

DATES: Comments are due by September 5, 2024. Reply comments are due by 
September 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by GN Docket No. 24-248, 
by any of the following methods:
    [ssquf] Federal Communications Commission's Website: https://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    [ssquf] 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 detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document. To request materials in 
accessible formats for people with disabilities, send an email to 
[email protected] or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 
202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bahman Badipour, Office of Engineering 
and Technology, 202-418-7814, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's 
document, DA 24-248, released August 16, 2024, by the Space and 
Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus and the Offices of Engineering and 
Technology and International Affairs under delegated authority pursuant 
to 47 CFR 0.31, 0.131, 0.261, and 0.351. The full text of the document 
is available at https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-information-sharing-18-ghz-band.

Comment Filing Requirements

    Interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or 
before the dates indicated in the DATES section above. Comments may be 
filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).
     Electronic Filers. Comments may be filed electronically 
using the internet by accessing the ECFS, http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs.
     Paper Filers. Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent 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.
     Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, 
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, 
and Priority mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 
20554.
     Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the 
Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings. 
This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety 
of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. See FCC 
Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window and Change in Hand-
Delivery Policy, Public Notice, DA 20-304 (March 19, 2020). https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy.
     Persons 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) 
or 202-418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    The Space Bureau, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, the Office of 
International Affairs, and the Office of Engineering and Technology 
(collectively Bureaus/Offices) seek to further develop the record for 
the 18.1-18.6 GHz band (18 GHz band) with the goal of informing the 
forthcoming report

[[Page 73089]]

mandated by the National Spectrum Strategy (NSS) Implementation Plan. 
The NSS identified the 18 GHz band as a potential band for expanded 
Federal and non-Federal satellite operations, consistent with the U.S. 
position at the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23), 
which would add space-to-space allocations to this band (among others). 
Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS) downlink operations are currently 
authorized in the band. In addition, non-Federal Fixed Service is 
authorized in the 18.1-18.3 GHz segment of the band. The final report 
with findings is to be completed by May 2025.
    Background. In 2006, the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission) released the Report and Order rechannelizing the 17.7-19.7 
GHz band for Fixed Microwave Services under part 101 of the 
Commission's rules (71 FR 69039, Nov. 29, 2006) (18 GHz R&O). As part 
of the 18 GHz R&O, the Commission adopted a revised band plan for the 
17.7-18.3 and 19.3-19.7 GHz band, designated a contiguous 600 megahertz 
block of one way spectrum from 17.7-18.3 GHz for use by multichannel 
video programming distributors (MVPDs), and protected certain federal 
earth stations in the FSS (space-to-Earth) in the 17.7-17.8 GHz band. 
United States federal systems are authorized to operate in the 17.8-
20.2 GHz band in accordance with footnote US334 in the United States 
Table of Frequency Allocations. Coordination between non-federal 
operations, both terrestrial and satellite, and these federal 
operations remain in effect.
    WRC-23 and 18 GHz. Under Agenda Item 1.17 of WRC-23, the Conference 
considered appropriate regulatory actions for the provision of inter-
satellite links in the frequency bands 11.7-12.7 GHz, 18.1-18.6 GHz, 
18.8-20.2 GHz and 27.5-30.0 GHz. During the ITU-R study cycle leading 
up to the Conference, the United States and other administrations 
developed extensive sharing and compatibility studies to assess the 
feasibility of introducing satellite-to-satellite links in the 18 GHz 
band, among others. Based on these studies, at WRC-23 the United States 
and other member states of the Inter-American Telecommunication 
Commission (CITEL) supported a common regional proposal to add an 
inter-satellite service allocation in bands including the 18 GHz band, 
under certain conditions. WRC-23 ultimately adopted inter-satellite 
service allocations in the 18 GHz and other bands in the International 
Table of Frequency Allocations subject to a new Resolution and 
additional restrictions.
    WRC-15 NPRM and 18.142-18.3 GHz. In April 2023, the Commission 
sought comment on whether it should raise the non-Federal secondary FSS 
(space-to-Earth) allocation in the 18.142-18.3 GHz band to primary 
status, i.e., co-equal with the non-Federal primary fixed service 
allocation in the band (88 FR 67160, Sept. 29, 2023). If adopted, this 
upgrade of allocation status would provide receiving earth stations 
with interference protection from later-licensed fixed stations that 
are used for part 74 and part 101 Multichannel Video Programming 
Distributor (MVPD) and part 78 cable television relay service (CARS) 
operations that operate in accordance with the proposed rules in this 
section.
    National Spectrum Strategy. The NSS identifies the 18 GHz band as a 
band for further study. The NSS Implementation Plan establishes a 
schedule under which a band study would be completed by February 2025 
and a final report issued by May 2025. In order to aid the band study 
and report preparation, the Bureaus/Offices seek public input on 
various issues relating to current or potential uses of the 18 GHz 
band. Specifically, the Bureaus/Offices seek comment on whether the 
assumptions and analysis on which the WRC-23 decision was based are 
still valid. Commenters advocating that the NSS band study should be 
based on different assumptions or analysis should provide detailed 
technical information describing why they disagree with the previous 
work and what assumptions they favor and their preferred analysis 
method. The Bureaus/Offices also seek comment on the use cases 
operators in the 18 GHz band plan to support and what regulatory 
changes are needed to implement any allocation changes supported by the 
record. In addition, the Bureaus/Offices seek comment on whether the 
separately pending proposal to elevate the non-Federal FSS allocation 
in the 18.142-18.3 GHz band to primary status would affect a new space 
allocation in the 18 GHz band. The record developed in response to the 
Public Notice will be publicly available in GN Docket No. 24-248 and 
shared with the NTIA and other interested agencies.

Federal Communications Commission.
Troy Tanner,
Acting Chief, Office of International Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-19068 Filed 9-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P