The Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration: Coordination Procedures in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz Bands, 54710-54718 [2014-21748]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 177 (Friday, September 12, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54710-54718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21748]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[GN Docket No. 13-185; DA 14-1023]


The Federal Communications Commission and National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration: Coordination 
Procedures in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz Bands

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission and National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration (NTIA) issue this joint public notice to 
provide information about Federal/non-Federal coordination in the AWS-3 
bands in which Federal incumbents have spectrum assignments. We jointly 
refine certain AWS-3 Protection Zones, reducing them from nationwide 
scope to more specific geographic areas. We provide information and 
guidance on the overall coordination process, as contemplated by the 
AWS-3 R&O, including informal pre-coordination discussions and the 
formal process of submitting coordination requests and receiving 
results from relevant agencies. Also, we provide refined Protection 
Zones for AWS-3 licenses for which proximity to certain Federal 
satellite uplink stations could potentially cause harmful interference 
into AWS-3 licensee base stations along with a streamlined option for 
satisfying this coordination requirement.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th St. SW., 
Washington, DC 20554 and U.S. Department of Commerce, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1401 Constitution 
Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet Young at (202) 418-0837 or 
janet.young@fcc.gov, Broadband Division, Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau, FCC, or Gary Patrick, Office of Spectrum Management, NTIA, at 
(202) 482-3650 or gpatrick@ntia.doc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of a public notice of the 
coordination procedures in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz Bands, 
jointly by the Federal Communications Commission and the United States 
Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, GN Docket No. 13-185, DA 14-1023, released on July 18, 
2014.

Synopsis

I. Introduction

    1. In March 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission 
or FCC) adopted new rules that will make available significantly more 
spectrum for Advanced Wireless Services (AWS). See Report and Order, GN 
Docket No. 13-185, 29 FCC Rcd 4610 (2014) (recon. pending), 79 FR 32366 
(June 4, 2014) (AWS-3 R&O). The rules are a milestone in providing 
commercial access to new spectrum bands through a spectrum-sharing 
arrangement with incumbent federal users. As part of that arrangement, 
the Commission's AWS-3 rules require successful coordination with 
Federal incumbents prior to operation in Protection Zones (also 
referred to here as coordination zones). By this public notice the 
Commission, through its Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) 
provide (i) information for potential bidders in the AWS-3 auction and 
(ii) guidance to the ultimate AWS-3 licensees and the affected Federal 
incumbents regarding coordination between Federal and non-Federal for 
shared use of the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz bands. The joint 
nature of this public notice reflects intersecting jurisdictions of the 
Commission (commercial users) and NTIA (Federal users) in these bands. 
In the AWS-3 R&O, the Commission authorized and directed its Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau to work with NTIA staff, in collaboration 
with affected Federal agencies or Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory 
Committee (CSMAC) members, to develop this joint FCC and NTIA public 
notice with information on coordination procedures in the 1695-1710 MHz 
and 1755-1780 MHz bands. AWS-3 R&O at, 29 FCC Rcd at 4693 para. 221.
    2. The public notice proceeds as follows. In section II, we provide 
general background information about Federal/non-Federal coordination 
in the AWS-3 bands in which Federal incumbents have spectrum 
assignments. In section III, we jointly refine certain AWS-3 Protection 
Zones, reducing them from nationwide scope to more specific geographic 
areas. Section IV provides information and guidance on the overall 
coordination process, as contemplated by the AWS-3 R&O, including 
informal pre-coordination discussions and the formal process of 
submitting coordination requests and receiving results from relevant 
agencies. Section V provides refined Protection Zones for AWS-3 
licenses for which proximity to certain Federal satellite uplink 
stations could potentially cause harmful interference into AWS-3 
licensee base stations along with a streamlined option for satisfying 
this coordination requirement. The Appendices to this public notice are 
formatted tables, images, and a sample coordination agreement that are 
available online at: www.ntia.doc.gov/category/aws-3-transition and 
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocspublic/attachmatch/DA-14-1023A1.pdf.

II. Background

    3. AWS-3 R&O. On March 31, 2014, the Commission adopted rules 
governing commercial use of spectrum in the 1695-1710 MHz, 1755-1780 
MHz, and 2155-2180 MHz bands making 65 megahertz of spectrum available 
for flexible use wireless services, including mobile broadband. The 
Commission's action was another step in implementing the Congressional 
directive in Title VI of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation 
Act of 2012 (Spectrum Act) to make more spectrum available for flexible 
uses. It was also the culmination of years of effort to facilitate 
commercial access to some of these bands through spectrum-sharing 
arrangements with incumbent Federal users. In particular, 40 megahertz 
in the band is being made available for commercial use pursuant to 
collaboration among the wireless industry and Federal agencies 
facilitated in part by NTIA, which chartered the Commerce Spectrum 
Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) to advise it on these matters.
    4. Information on Incumbent Federal operations. Information about 
incumbent Federal operations is generally available through the 
affected agencies' Transition Plans. The publicly

[[Page 54711]]

available Transition Plans are published at www.ntia.doc.gov/category/aws-3-transition. NTIA and CSMAC reports are also available through 
this Web site. By way of background, Federal incumbents in the 1695-
1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz bands were required to develop and submit 
Transition Plans to implement relocation or sharing arrangements and 
affected Federal agencies have recently done so. Transition Plans 
contain information on these Federal systems including the frequencies 
used, emission bandwidth, system use, geographic service area, 
authorized radius of operation, and estimated timelines and costs for 
relocation or sharing. Affected agencies are permitted to redact from 
the publicly-released transition plans classified national security 
information and ``other information for which there is a legal basis 
for nondisclosure and the public disclosure of which would be 
detrimental to national security, homeland security, or public safety 
or would jeopardize a law enforcement investigation.'' See AWS-3 R&O, 
29 FCC Rcd at 4694 para. 224 & n.673 (citing 47 U.S.C. 923(h)(7), 929). 
Each Federal entity that requested pre-auction funds attested in its 
Transition Plan that it will, during the transition period, make 
available to a non-Federal user with appropriate security clearances 
any classified information regarding the relocation process, on a need-
to-know basis, to assist the non-Federal user in the relocation process 
with the eligible Federal entity or other eligible Federal entities. 
Accord 47 U.S.C. 928(d)(3)(B)(ii)(4). See also NTIA Manual of 
Regulations and Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency Management (NTIA 
Manual), Annex O at O.4.1 para. 3, O.6.1, and at Appendix: Common 
Format for Transition Plans, Tab B.
    5. Generally, incumbent Federal operations in 1695-1710 MHz and 
1755-1780 MHz include the following categories of systems:
     1695-1710 MHz. This band is used by the meteorological 
satellite (MetSat) service (restricted to space-to-Earth operation). 
Details on the protected 47 Federal MetSat operations that will 
continue to be protected on a primary basis in the 1675-1695 MHz band 
and a co-primary basis in the 1695-1710 MHz band are publicly available 
in the relevant Transition Plans.
     1755-1780 MHz. Federal assignments in this band (and for 
purposes of describing the AWS 3 coordination requirements that the 
Commission adopted in the AWS-3 R&O) can be grouped into two 
categories: (1) United States and Possessions (USP) assignments; and 
(2) non-USP assignments. (In Federal spectrum management, the term 
``non-USP'' can refer to operations outside of the United States and 
Possessions, but in this public notice the term ``non-USP'' refers to 
assignments that are not Federal USP assignments as described above.)
    [cir] Federal USP assignments. Some Federal incumbents have 
assignments in the band that specify an area of transmission, 
reception, or operation as ``USP.'' Section G.2 of Annex G of the NTIA 
Manual contains abbreviations used in the Transmitter and Receiver 
State/County fields of the Government Master File (GMF). The 
abbreviation ``USP'' is for use only when transmitting and/or receiving 
throughout the United States and Possessions, id. G.2.3, which 
``includes the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, and the territories and possessions (but less the Canal 
Zone).'' NTIA Manual, 6.1 Definitions. Such assignments authorize 
agencies to operate particular radio systems anywhere they are needed 
throughout the United States and Possessions. Put differently, 
incumbent use may not be simultaneous nationwide and incumbents may be 
able to share frequencies in some areas prior to relocating all 
operations from the band. All USP assignments will be transitioned out 
of the 1755-1780 MHz band. See 47 CFR 27.1134(f)(1). See also NTIA 
Manual 9.8.2 (Application Data Requirements), Field 39 (Circuit 
Remarks) (e) (Authorized States) (allowing the transmitter and receiver 
antenna location fields to describe an area of operation as USP if 
within four or more States and the area includes a Possession).
    [ballot] The specific areas where incumbents operate under their 
USP assignments are redacted from publicly released Transition Plans.
    [ballot] The Commission's rules require each AWS-3 licensee, prior 
to its first operations in its AWS-3 licensed area, to reach a 
coordination arrangement with each Federal agency that has a USP 
assignment in the band on an operator-to-operator basis.
    [ballot] This public notice does not change this requirement--the 
refined Protection Zones discussed in sections III and V are 
inapplicable to this requirement.
    [ballot] There are 21 USP assignments including one telemetry 
assignment, two robotics assignments, and 18 video assignments. The 
incumbent agencies are: Department of Homeland Security, Department of 
Justice, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of 
the Treasury, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), United 
States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Department of 
Veterans Affairs. Updated contact information for each of these 
agencies is available at www.ntia.doc.gov/category/aws-3-transition. 
HUD and USAID each specify USP assignments in their Transition Plans 
under relocation timelines of 0-1 month, making coordination 
arrangements unnecessary.
    [cir] Federal non-USP assignments. Most Federal assignments specify 
particular areas of operation within the United States (rather than 
USP).
     [ballot] Details on incumbent Federal agencies' operations are 
generally available in the relevant, publicly-released Transition 
Plans.
    [ballot] Most non-USP assignments will be transitioned out of 1755-
1780 MHz, with the exception of the six sites in which Joint Tactical 
Radio Systems may operate, the two polygons within which the Air Combat 
Training System may operate, and the 25 sites where Federal earth 
stations may transmit. See 47 CFR 2.106 footnote US91.
    [ballot] Most details of Department of Defense (DoD) operations are 
redacted from the publicly released Transition Plans, but will be made 
available in a modified format with slightly more generalized details 
through a separate release. As noted above, affected agencies are 
permitted to redact from the publicly-released transition plans 
classified national security information and ``other information for 
which there is a legal basis for nondisclosure and the public 
disclosure of which would be detrimental to national security, homeland 
security, or public safety or would jeopardize a law enforcement 
investigation.'' See 47 U.S.C. 929.
    [ballot] The Commission's rules require that, prior to operating in 
a Protection Zone a base station that enables mobiles and portables to 
transmit in the 1755-1780 MHz band, AWS-3 licensees successfully 
coordinate with each Federal incumbent.
    [ballot] In the AWS-3 R&O, the Commission stated that, for the 
1755-1780 MHz band, the default Protection Zones are nationwide.
    [ballot] This public notice refines the nationwide default 
Protection Zones. The refined Protection Zones (discussed in sections 
III and V below and Appendices B and C, respectively) are intended in 
part to provide information to potential AWS-3 licensees on Federal 
operations in the 1755-1780 MHz band without disclosing non-public 
information about these systems.
    6. The Transition Plans generally provide detailed information 
about

[[Page 54712]]

these systems, including the transition timelines. After reaching an 
arrangement with each USP agency, AWS-3 licensees are permitted to 
operate anywhere in these bands outside of Protection Zones that 
protect Federal incumbents during transition and on a permanent basis 
for systems that remain in the bands indefinitely. AWS-3 licensees may 
expect that the magnitude of the requirement to coordinate will 
decrease over time as agencies execute their Transition Plans. We 
describe the specific coordination requirements below.

III. Refined Protection Zones Establishing Areas Where AWS-3 Licensees 
Must Successfully Coordinate With Federal Incumbents Operating Under 
Non-USP Assignments

    7. In this section and in section V, we discuss refined Protection 
Zones for coordination with Federal agencies operating under non-USP 
assignments in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz bands. As described 
in section II above, for USP assignments, AWS-3 licensees are required 
to reach a coordination arrangement with each Federal agency that has a 
USP assignment in 1755-1780 MHz on an operator-to-operator basis prior 
to first operation in its licensed area. The refined Protection Zones 
in this public notice are organized into two sections depending on 
their purpose. The Protection Zones discussed in this section III (with 
details in Appendices A & B) are intended to protect incumbent Federal 
operations from AWS-3 operations in the 1695-1710 MHz band up to 30 dBm 
EIRP and in the 1755-1780 MHz band up to 20 dBm EIRP. The Protection 
Zones discussed in section V (with details in Appendix C) are intended 
to address potential interference into AWS-3 base stations in proximity 
to certain Federal satellite uplink stations. The refined Protection 
Zones in sections III and V are inapplicable to coordination with USP 
agencies.
    8. In the AWS-3 R&O, the Commission adopted rules that require AWS-
3 licensees to successfully coordinate with incumbent Federal users 
before operating within coordination zones (as noted above, also 
referred to here as Protection Zones). Several statutory provisions 
encourage negotiation, coordination, and spectrum sharing between non-
Federal users and Federal entities. Under the AWS-3 R&O, AWS-3 
licensees are permitted to operate anywhere outside of the Protection 
Zones without prior coordination with non-USP incumbents. There are two 
Federal/non-Federal coordination scenarios: (1) Temporary sharing prior 
to Federal relocation from the band under an approved Transition Plan; 
and (2) permanent sharing where incumbent Federal operations will 
remain in the band indefinitely. Under the first scenario, AWS-3 
licenses will be conditioned, by rule, on not causing harmful 
interference to relocating Federal operations. Under both scenarios the 
Commission's rules require successful coordination with Federal 
incumbents prior to operation in Protection Zones. Under the terms of 
the AWS-3 R&O, AWS-3 licensees will be permitted to operate in any 
area: Outside of a Protection Zone for any Federal operation in 1695-
1710 MHz or 1755-1780 MHz during the transition of any system; outside 
the Protection Zones for systems remaining in the bands permanently; 
and within the Protection Zone of a transitioning or permanent system 
subject to successful coordination. AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4690-93 
paras. 216-220. For coordination with Federal incumbents operating 
under non-USP assignments, AWS-3 licensee requests to operate base 
stations inside Protection Zones (that enable mobiles and portables to 
transmit in the 1695-1710 MHz or 1755-1780 MHz bands) trigger the 
coordination requirement.
    9. Federal use of the radio spectrum is generally governed by NTIA 
while non-Federal use is governed by the Commission. See 47 U.S.C. 
305(a), 902(b)(2)(A). As such, consistent with the approach used for 
AWS-1, the Commission determined in the AWS-3 R&O that that any 
guidance or details concerning Federal/non-Federal coordination 
including, if possible, revisions to the nationwide coordination zones, 
should be issued jointly by NTIA and the Commission. In this regard, 
the Commission authorized and directed its Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau to work with NTIA staff, in collaboration with affected Federal 
agencies or CSMAC members, to develop a joint FCC and NTIA public 
notice with information on coordination procedures in the 1695-1710 MHz 
and 1755-1780 MHz bands. This public notice was developed under that 
direction. AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4693 para. 221. In adopting final 
rules in the AWS-3 R&O, the Commission discussed relevant statutes and 
related considerations that led to its determination to establish 
certain default, nationwide Protection Zones that would be refined or 
shrunk to the extent that NTIA, representing the recipients of this 
protection (i.e., the Federal users), determined that the full extent 
of this protection was not required. AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4645 
para. 91; 47 CFR 2.106 footnotes US88, US91, 27.1134(c), (f). In 
particular, the Commission noted that NTIA has authority to assign 
frequencies to Federal users and to amend, modify, or revoke such 
assignments; AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4693 para. 221 citing 47 U.S.C. 
305(a) (stating that Federal stations are not subject to provisions of 
sections 301 (FCC licensing authority) or 303 (FCC general powers) of 
the Act), 902(b)(2)(A); and that the Commission must condition AWS-3 
licenses on not causing harmful interference to a relocating Federal 
entity prior to NTIA's termination of such entity's authorization, see 
supra note 20. See also AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4690 para. 214. NTIA's 
determination must also account for the requirement of current law that 
``the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff jointly certify . . . that such 
alternative band or bands provides comparable technical characteristics 
to restore essential military capability that will be lost as a result 
of the band of frequencies to be so surrendered.'' Id. See also 47 
U.S.C. 923(j) and NTIA, Notification to Congress Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 
923(j)(2) Regarding the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz (AWS-3) 
Spectrum Bands (Jun. 4, 2014), available at https://go.usa.gov/XxHV. 
Specification of the refined Protection Zones outlined below, which 
reflects the determination that NTIA has now made, thus implements 
provisions already incorporated in the Commission's AWS-3 rules 
pursuant to notice and comment rulemaking. Additionally, NTIA's 
directives to Federal agencies regarding Protection Zones (and 
coordination requirements) is a matter for NTIA and not the Commission. 
See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. 923(g)(6) (establishing that NTIA shall take such 
actions as necessary to ensure the timely relocation and timely 
implementation of arrangements for the sharing of frequencies). For 
this reason, further notice to and comment by non-Federal users to the 
Commission would be impracticable and unnecessary as well as contrary 
to the public interest in negotiating agreement among the Commission, 
NTIA, and multiple Federal users on an expedited basis, pursuant to the 
timetable for licensing of the AWS-3 spectrum required by the Spectrum 
Act. See 47 U.S.C. 1451(b). Nor does this reduction of Protection Zones 
involve any ``major policy proposals that are not classified and that

[[Page 54713]]

involve spectrum management,'' requiring NTIA to provide for further 
public comment and review. See 47 U.S.C. 903(b)(2). See also 78 FR 
52097 (2013) (revisions to NTIA Manual are subject to good cause 
exception of Administrative Procedure Act because they apply only to 
Federal agencies); see also 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2).
    10. We note that in the AWS-3 R&O, the Commission declined to 
specify that licensees deploy systems using a particular technology--
such as LTE--and instead sought to adopt technical and operational 
requirements as necessary to protect against harmful interference or 
effectuate other compelling public interest objectives. The Commission 
recognized that CSMAC assumed baseline LTE uplink characteristics to 
determine Protection Zones--in particular a 20 dBm maximum EIRP--and 
concluded that this did not require adoption of LTE for all purposes. 
AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4649-50 para. 105 (``Where the rules that we 
adopt today differ from proposed rules that reflected CSMAC's 
assumptions, we also adopt corresponding changes to the coordination 
zones.''). This determination was made consistent with the Commission's 
policy of supporting flexible use. The Commission noted if a licensee 
decides to use a technology other than LTE, the licensee will still be 
subject to the Commission's technical rules. The Commission also noted 
that the required coordination process could address any issues that 
may arise if the use of a different technology complies with the 
Commission's rules but nonetheless poses a greater risk of interference 
to incumbent Federal operations. As such, AWS-3 licensees deploying 
technology that differs from CSMAC's baseline LTE uplink assumptions 
may need to address as part of coordination whether such operations 
pose a greater risk of interference to incumbent Federal operations 
than the baseline LTE uplink characteristics that CSMAC assumed. If 
relevant to the technical analysis, the licensee may need to provide 
technical data regarding its base stations outside of but nearby a 
relevant Protection Zone, but the licensee is not required to 
successfully coordinate such stations.

A. Refinements to the 1695-1710 MHz Protection Zones

    11. Forty-seven Federal earth stations will continue to receive 
satellite signals in the 1675-1695 MHz band on a primary basis and on a 
co-primary basis in the 1695-1710 MHz band and will continue to do so 
indefinitely. 47 CFR 2.106 footnote US88. There are 13 Protection Zones 
listed in footnote US88(b)(1) for Federal earth stations receiving in 
the band 1695-1710 MHz and 14 Protection Zones listed in footnote 
US88(b)(2) for Federal earth stations receiving in the band 1675-1695 
MHz. In the AWS-3 R&O, the Commission adopted rules establishing 27 
Protection Zones that encompass the 47 earth stations. AWS-3 licensees 
must successfully coordinate prior to operating a base station in a 
Protection Zone that enables mobile and portable AWS 3 stations to 
operate up to 20 dBm EIRP. See 47 CFR 2.106 footnote US88, 27.1134(c).
    12. Appendix A of this public notice sets forth the 27 Protection 
Zones for operations up to 20 dBm as specified in the Commission's 
rules, which the Commission adopted in accordance with NTIA's 
recommendation endorsing these zones in the CSMAC WG-1 Final Report 
(WG-1). Appendix A also includes refined Protection Zones (larger than 
the zones established for operations up to 20 dBm but substantially 
smaller than nationwide zones) for operations above 20 dBm up to the 
maximum of 30 dBm EIRP permitted under the Commission's rules. These 
refined Protection Zones for operations above 20 dBm use the same 27 
center points that define the 27 zones for operations up to 20 dBm. To 
account for the higher operating power, however, the radius of the 
Protection Zone around each center point is larger.
    13. Aside from the 47 Federal earth stations that will operate on a 
primary (1675-1695 MHz) or co-equal primary (1695-1710 MHz) basis with 
AWS-3 licensees, all other Federal Earth stations operate on a 
secondary basis. 47 CFR 2.106 footnote US88(b). Non-Federal earth 
stations may continue to receive MetSat data from primary Federal 
MetSat space stations on an unprotected basis. See AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC 
Rcd at 4684-85 para. 199.

B. Refinements to the 1755-1780 MHz Protection Zones for Coordination 
With Federal Incumbents With Non-USP Assignments

    14. Some incumbent Federal systems in 1755-1780 MHz will be 
relocating from the band over a period of time while others will remain 
in the band indefinitely. AWS-3 licensees must successfully coordinate 
with both types of Federal incumbents prior to operating a base station 
in a Protection Zone that enables mobiles and portables to transmit in 
the 1755-1780 MHz band. Coordination with agencies that hold USP 
assignments is discussed in section II above. For agencies that hold 
non-USP assignments, the AWS-3 R&O established default nationwide 
coordination requirements for any proposed base station that enables 
mobiles and portables to operate in the band unless otherwise agreed in 
writing among all relevant parties, or if the FCC and NTIA jointly 
announce refined protection zones for base stations that enable mobiles 
and portables to operate in the band up to 20 dBm EIRP. This public 
notice announces such refined Protection Zones.
    15. We note that some incumbent Federal operations have a potential 
to interfere with AWS-3 base stations located outside of the refined 
Protection Zones. Under the rules that the Commission adopted in the 
AWS-3 R&O, AWS-3 licensees must accept harmful interference from these 
incumbent Federal operations. See, e.g., 47 CFR 27.1134(f) (``[t]he 
Federal Government operates communications systems in the 1755-1780 MHz 
band. Certain systems are expected to continue to operate in the band 
indefinitely. All other operations will be relocating to other 
frequencies or otherwise cease operations in the 1755-1780 MHz band in 
accordance with 47 CFR part 301. Until such a time as Federal 
operations in the 1755-1780 MHz bands vacate this spectrum, AWS 
licensees shall protect such systems and must accept any interference 
received from these Federal operations. See 47 CFR 2.106, US note 91 of 
this chapter for details.''). With one exception, these zones are 
intended to protect incumbent Federal operations from AWS-3 operations. 
(We discuss the exception in section V below and Appendix C to this 
public notice (refined protection zones for 25 Federal earth 
stations).) In the Auction 97 Comment public notice, the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau proposed to require an applicant to 
participate in the auction to acknowledge that its operations in the 
1755-1780 MHz band may be subject to interference from Federal systems, 
that the applicant must accept interference from incumbent Federal 
operations, and that the applicant has considered these risks before 
submitting any bids for applicable licenses in the auction. Auction of 
Advanced Wireless Services Licenses Scheduled for November 13, 2014; 
Comment Sought on Competitive Bidding Procedures for Auction 97, AU 
Docket No. 14-78, Public Notice, 29 FCC Rcd 5217, 5225 para. 24 (WTB 
2014).
    16. Below we describe the refined Protection Zones in 1755-1780 MHz 
for non-USP DoD operations and non-USP operations by all other affected 
agencies.
    DoD Assignments. Appendix B-1 provides the reference for refined

[[Page 54714]]

Protection Zones for coordination of AWS-3 base stations (that enable 
mobiles and portables to transmit in the band up to 20 dBm EIRP) with 
incumbent DoD operations depicted by system type (DoD Workbook, Tab 1). 
This reference will link to a data table that DoD is finalizing that 
will map the coordination requirements in each five-megahertz block 
over census tracts. A census tract is ``[a] small, relatively permanent 
statistical subdivision of a county delineated by a local committee of 
census data users for the purpose of presenting data. Census tracts 
nest within counties, and their boundaries normally follow visible 
features, but may follow legal geography boundaries and other non-
visible features in some instances, Census tracts ideally contain about 
4,000 people and 1,600 housing units. https://www.census.gov/glossary/
#termCensustract. There are 73,057 census tracts for the 50 
states and the District of Columbia (2010 tally does not include Puerto 
Rico and the Island Areas). https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/
tallies/nationalgeotallies.html. The U.S. Census 
Bureau provides references, including links to mapping files. See, 
e.g., https://www.census.gov/geo/education/pdfs/CensusTracts.pdf. The 
use of census tracts and five-megahertz blocks should allow licensees 
to analyze the data for all AWS-3 licenses. The distances used in this 
analysis were equal to or, in some cases, substantially shorter than 
the CSMAC recommendation. The electronic version will include 
Transition Plan timelines for those impacted systems along with 
documentation describing assumptions (e.g., operational area and 
coordination zone) used to determine the Protection Zone. The 
information will be as specific as possible, accounting for the need to 
protect classified and other sensitive information and in a format that 
can be manipulated and imported into mapping and other data analysis 
tools.
    17. As noted above, even in areas where coordination with Federal 
non-USP incumbents is not required, AWS-3 licensees may still be 
susceptible to harmful interference from these incumbent Federal 
operations. AWS-3 licensees must accept this interference and design 
their systems to overcome or avoid it in the event that they receive 
it. The workbook will include a second data table mapping areas within 
which there is a higher possibility that AWS-3 licensees will receive 
harmful interference from non-ground based DoD operations (DoD 
Workbook, Tab 2). This data table will be purely informational and will 
not define the Protection Zones where successful coordination is 
required. AWS-3 licensees are required by rule to accept harmful 
interference from these Federal operations. (See quotation from 47 CFR 
27.1134(f) above.) We also note that AWS-3 licensees are required to 
comply with all other applicable rules governing their operations. The 
DoD Workbook, Tab 2, will identify the areas within which AWS-3 
licensees may have a higher expectation of interference from incumbent 
Federal operations. These will include areas outside of Protection 
Zones and areas surrounding 25 uplink Earth stations for which 
coordination is required for AWS-3 base stations located in the refined 
Protection Zones discussed in section V and Appendix C.
    18. Non-DoD Assignments. Appendix B-2 provides refined Protection 
Zones for coordination of AWS-3 base stations (that enable mobiles and 
portables to transmit in the band up to 20 dBm EIRP) with certain non-
DoD incumbent Federal operations. The locations and other pertinent 
information for these systems are available in the publicly released 
Transition Plans. These refined Protection Zones are based on distances 
that are consistent with the Commission's AWS rules to protect non-
Federal microwave systems to minimize potential coordination/
transaction costs while protecting against harmful interference into 
protected Federal operations.
    19. The refined Protection Zones in Appendix B apply only to AWS-3 
base stations that enable mobiles and portables to operate in the 1755-
1780 MHz band up to 20 dBm EIRP. The Protection Zone remains nationwide 
for base stations that enable mobiles and portables to operate in 1755-
1780 MHz at powers above 20 dBm EIRP. AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4645 
para. 91. Special requirements near satellite earth stations in the 
1761-1780 MHz band are discussed in section V below and Appendix C.

IV. Coordination Process Guidance

    20. The purpose of coordination is to avoid harmful interference to 
protected Federal operations and missions in the 1695-1710 MHz and 
1755-1780 MHz bands while expediting access to and maximizing 
commercial use of the spectrum. The coordination guidance described 
below applies to all AWS-3 licensees seeking to operate in the 1695-
1710 MHz band or the 1755-1780 MHz band, unless the AWS-3 licensee and 
the relevant Federal incumbents have agreed otherwise. Below is a 
general description of the process and is not intended to encompass all 
coordination requirements and scenarios. AWS-3 licensees and Federal 
incumbents must use good faith throughout the coordination process, 
regardless of whether they use the steps below or whether all relevant 
parties have agreed to their own negotiated coordination arrangement. 
The Commission's AWS-3 rules contemplate ``a good faith effort from 
both the AWS-3 licensees and the Federal incumbents to share 
information about their systems, agree to appropriate interference 
methodologies, and communicate results so as to facilitate commercial 
use of the band.'' AWS-3 R&O, 29 FCC Rcd at 4693 para. 222. This 
extends to AWS licensees sharing information with Federal incumbents 
and cooperating once Federal incumbents develop and implement real-time 
spectrum monitoring systems around existing Federal operations 
protected in the 1695-1710 MHz and adjacent bands.

A. Contact

    21. Federal incumbents' Transition Plans identify a point of 
contact within each agency that an AWS-3 licensee may contact to 
initiate coordination. In addition, the Institute for Telecommunication 
Sciences (ITS) within NTIA and DoD are creating online portals through 
which an AWS-3 licensee may initiate coordination for relevant systems 
(collectively referred to here as the Portals). The ITS Portal will 
support coordination for all Federal incumbents in the 1695-1710 MHz 
band. The DoD Portal will support coordination for all DoD incumbents 
in the 1755-1780 MHz band and may over time accommodate other Federal 
incumbent systems in the band.

B. Informal Discussions

    22. Before an AWS-3 licensee submits a formal coordination request, 
it may share draft proposals and/or request that Federal agency 
coordination staff discuss draft coordination proposals. These 
discussions are voluntary, informal, and non-binding and can begin at 
any time. AWS-3 licensees may discuss their proposed deployment and 
seek guidance on appropriate measures to ensure that electromagnetic 
compatibility (EMC) analyses produce positive results. Further, AWS-3 
licensees and Federal incumbents may discuss the scope and extent of 
temporary sharing for those Federal assignments that may share with 
AWS-3 licensees on a temporary basis. AWS-3 licensees and agency 
representatives may also, on an operator-to-operator basis, develop an 
analysis methodology that reflects the characteristics of the

[[Page 54715]]

licensee's proposed deployment and the Federal agency's operation. 
These discussions can also involve developing a process for 
identification and resolution of interference.
    23. These discussions are intended to allow the Federal incumbent 
and AWS-3 licensee to share information about their respective system 
designs, and identify any potential coordination issues prior to the 
filing of a formal coordination request. We make clear that these 
discussions are non-binding, and the Federal agencies involved are not, 
unless they specify, making any determination regarding the outcome of 
the formal coordination. We strongly encourage parties to use informal, 
non-binding discussions to minimize or resolve basic methodological 
issues upfront before the AWS-3 licensee submits a formal coordination 
request.

C. Formal Coordination

    24. We provide guidance for the formal coordination process below. 
This description is general, and the process may differ between 
agencies and is subject to additional modification by the agencies and 
licensees as agreed to on an operator-to-operator basis. We expect and 
encourage the Federal agencies and AWS-3 licensees to engage in good 
faith coordination.
1. Initiation
    25. Coordination shall be initiated by the AWS-3 licensee formally 
requesting access within a temporary or permanent Protection Zone and 
by contacting each USP incumbent (see section II above) prior to first 
operations in each AWS-3 license area. This request can be made 
directly through the agency point of contact specified in the 
Transition Plan, through the DoD Portal (which may accommodate other 
agencies), or through the ITS Portal, depending on system type (see 
section IV.A above.) The AWS-3 licensee must set up its Portal 
account(s) and, once established, the AWS-3 licensee will receive a 
user guide(s) and training on the use of the Portal(s).
2. Timing
    26. No formal coordination for nine (9) months. Unless otherwise 
agreed among an AWS-3 licensee and the relevant Federal incumbent(s), 
Federal incumbents are not obligated to entertain formal coordination 
requests until nine (9) months after the date of the auction closing 
public notice. AWS-3 licensees may, as described above, request 
informal discussions during this time.
    27. Timing generally. After the first nine (9) months following the 
close of the auction, Federal incumbents are expected to timely review 
and respond to formal coordination requests. We encourage licensees and 
incumbents, through informal discussions, to serialize formal 
coordination requests as appropriate to avoid an overwhelming influx of 
coordination requests at the conclusion of the nine (9) month quiet 
period. We also encourage licensees and incumbents to discuss, as 
appropriate, extended review timelines to the extent that the 
incumbents' coordination resources are exhausted due to a large number 
of requests within a short time period after the quiet period. This 
will help maximize the quick and efficient review of coordination 
requests.
    28. When a licensee submits a formal request, the Federal point of 
contact will affirmatively acknowledge receipt of the request within 
five (5) calendar days after the date of submission. Within ten (10) 
calendar days after the submission date, Federal staff will notify the 
AWS-3 licensee whether the request is complete or incomplete. Unless 
the Federal agency finds the request incomplete or the agency and AWS-3 
licensee agree to a different timeline, the Federal response (the 
results letter discussed below) is due within sixty (60) calendar days 
after the deadline for the notice of completeness.
    29. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the requirement to reach a 
coordination arrangement with each agency that has a USP assignment 
(discussed above) and the requirement to successfully coordinate each 
base station proposed within a Protection Zone with each agency that 
has a non-USP assignment is satisfied only by obtaining the affirmative 
concurrence of the relevant incumbents. These requirements are not 
satisfied by omission: If a Federal agency does not timely respond, 
AWS-3 licensees should contact NTIA for assistance.
    30. Special temporary authority. Section 1.931 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 1.931 governs applications for special temporary 
authority (STA). In the Wireless Telecommunications Services, carriers 
may request STAs to operate new or modified equipment in circumstances 
requiring immediate or temporary use of a station. STA requests must 
contain complete details about the proposed operation and the 
circumstances that fully justify and necessitate the grant of STA. The 
Commission coordinates non-Federal STA requests for operations in 
Federal or shared Federal/non-Federal bands with NTIA, which in turn 
typically provides the incumbent Federal agencies a short timeframe to 
object or be deemed to have concurred.
    31. Applications for STAs in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz 
bands (for operations that require successful coordination with Federal 
incumbents under the rules adopted in the AWS-3 R&O), should, among 
other things, contain complete details about the proposed operation and 
circumstances that fully justify and necessitate the grant of STA under 
expedited Federal coordination. Such STA requests that do not fully 
justify the necessity for bypassing the timeframe and other 
coordination procedures in this public notice for coordination of AWS 
operations in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1780 MHz bands with incumbent 
Federal agencies will be dismissed as defective without referral to 
NTIA.
3. Submission Information
    32. To submit a formal coordination request, the AWS-3 licensee 
must include information about the technical characteristics for the 
AWS-3 base stations and associated mobile units relevant to operation 
within the Protection Zone. This information may be provided in a form 
agreed to by the agency and licensee, or if coordination takes place 
through the Portals, in accordance with the instructions provided in 
the AWS-3 Portal user's guide. The types of specific information, 
including the likely data fields in the Portals, include basic 
technical operating parameters, (e.g., system technology, mobile EIRP, 
frequency block, channel bandwidth, site name, latitude, and 
longitude). As noted in section III, licensees deploying technology 
that differs from CSMAC's baseline LTE uplink assumptions (apart from a 
maximum EIRP above 20 dBm which is already accounted for in Appendices 
A and B) may need to address as part of coordination whether such 
operations pose a greater risk of interference to Federal operations 
than the baseline LTE uplink characteristics that CSMAC assumed. In so 
doing, if relevant to the technical analysis, the licensee may need to 
provide technical data about (but not successfully coordinate) its base 
stations located outside of but nearby a relevant Protection Zone. We 
encourage AWS-3 licensees and Federal agencies to discuss these issues 
informally prior to submission of formal requests. The AWS-3 Portals 
will accept uploaded attachments that include narratives that explain 
area-wide deployments.
    33. AWS-3 licensees must prioritize their deployments in Protection 
Zones for each Federal incumbent when submitting a formal coordination 
request. If a licensee is seeking to

[[Page 54716]]

coordinate with multiple systems and/or multiple locations of operation 
controlled by one Federal incumbent, it must specify the order in which 
it prefers the Federal incumbent process the request (i.e., the order 
of systems or geographic locations).
4. Notice of Complete or Incomplete Request
    34. Once a licensee submits a formal coordination request, the 
relevant Federal coordination staff will review the data to ensure that 
it is in the proper format (if submitted through one of the Portals) 
and contains the proper content. Federal agency coordination staff will 
notify the AWS-3 licensee within ten (10) calendar days through direct 
communication or through the applicable Portal that its formal 
coordination request is complete or that it is incomplete. If the 
Federal agency coordination staff finds a request to be incomplete, it 
must identify the information the licensee must provide in as much 
specificity as possible. We expect that parties will work 
collaboratively to ensure completeness in a timely manner.
5. Coordination Analysis
    35. As noted above, unless a timely notice of incomplete 
application is sent to the AWS-3 licensee (or the parties agree to 
different a timeline), the clock for the Federal response begins to run 
on the deadline for the notice of completeness. The Federal response is 
due within sixty (60) calendar days thereafter unless the AWS-3 
licensee agrees otherwise. During these sixty (60) days, the Federal 
agency will coordinate with appropriate internal units, complete EMC 
analysis, and post the AWS-3 concurrence, partial concurrence with 
operating conditions, or denial. Each Federal incumbent is responsible 
for ensuring that it completes its internal, multi-level review in a 
timely manner. Federal incumbents are encouraged, through their 
designated internal coordination point of contact or through other 
means, to engage the AWS-3 licensee to ask any questions and discuss 
any issues in the event that any arise.
    36. Once the designated Federal agency coordinator completes its 
analysis pursuant to the formal coordination request, the AWS-3 
licensee and the relevant Federal agency field offices are 
automatically notified when a results letter is posted by the Federal 
user in the relevant AWS-3 Portal or, for agencies that do not use a 
Portal, transmitted to the AWS-3 licensee. The result of a coordination 
request will be concurrence, partial concurrence with operating 
conditions that specify the terms in which the licensee may begin 
operations, or denial of the request. Because of the sensitive nature 
of the data involved in much of the EMC analysis, the results letter 
may not present details of the analysis, the Federal frequency 
assignments affected, or timelines. In the case of partial concurrence 
or denial, the results letter will contain technical information 
objectively justifying the partial concurrence or denial. If a Federal 
agency does not provide the necessary information within the sixty (60) 
day deadline, AWS licensees may contact NTIA for assistance.
    37. Upon receipt of results letter, the AWS-3 licensee may accept, 
conditionally accept, or object to the partial concurrence, operating 
conditions, or denial. If an AWS-3 licensee objects to the result, it 
may contact the Federal agency coordinator to propose network design 
modifications to help address EMC issues raised in the results letter. 
The Federal agency coordinator may, where feasible, review technical 
proposals from the AWS-3 licensee to relieve a denial, partial 
concurrence and/or any operating condition contained in the results 
letter. Once the AWS-3 licensee has revised its network design, it 
resubmits a formal coordination request, and the AWS-3 formal 
coordination process begins again.
    38. We stress again, at this juncture, the benefits of informal 
discussions among AWS-3 licensees and Federal agencies, including 
during the formal coordination process. Although in many cases, Federal 
agency staff may be unable to provide specific information about the 
protected Federal operations in the results letter, and are not 
responsible for designing the AWS-3 system, they may offer some 
suggestions on how to address or mitigate the issue, given the limited 
information that can be made available on some Federal systems. The 
Freedom of Information Act exempts disclosure to the public of detailed 
characteristics of military systems, where specifically authorized by 
Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense 
or foreign policy. 5 U.S.C. 552(b(1). The characterization of the 
interference interactions of systems that conflict with an AWS-3 
desired deployment plan may disclose information, either directly or by 
inference, that has been classified and subject to substantial 
restrictions on access under Executive Orders and applicable 
regulations. See, e.g., Executive Order 13526 at part 4, 75 FR 707 
(2009). Hence, notification letters sent out by the designated Federal 
agency coordinator will identify only site and spectrum/channel 
activation requirements to ensure EMC with Federal systems. If the 
parties agree that informal discussions would be helpful, the sixty 
(60)-day clock will be paused so the Federal incumbents are not forced 
to formally decline or condition the pending, formal coordination 
request within the sixty (60)-day deadline.

D. Dispute Resolution

    39. Disputes generally--during coordination or regarding a sharing 
agreement. If disputes arise during the coordination process, we 
strongly encourage parties to negotiate in good faith to resolve them. 
If an AWS licensee believes a Federal incumbent is not negotiating in 
good faith, NTIA is available to assist and AWS-3 licensees have the 
option to inform the Commission. If a Federal incumbent believes that 
an AWS-3 licensee is not negotiating in good faith, it must nonetheless 
timely respond to a formal request and can seek NTIA's assistance. We 
also encourage parties to enter into operator-to-operator agreements 
that have dispute resolution provisions for any or all possible 
disputes. If a dispute arises between an incumbent Federal entity and 
an AWS-3 licensee over an operator-to-operator coordination/sharing 
agreement, provisions calling for informal negotiation, mediation, or 
non-binding arbitration efforts between the parties will help clearly 
define and narrow the issues for formal agency resolution by NTIA, the 
Commission, or jointly, as applicable. See generally 47 CFR 1.17. The 
coordination agreement in Appendix C-3 (relevant only to that system) 
also contains provisions that will be applicable to parties to such 
agreements.
    40. Certain disputes for which the law and NTIA rules allow parties 
to request a dispute resolution board. If a dispute arises between a 
Federal entity and a non-Federal user regarding the execution, timing, 
or cost of the transition plan submitted by the Federal entity, the law 
provides that either the Federal entity or the non-Federal user may 
request that NTIA establish a dispute resolution board to resolve the 
dispute. See Section 113(i) of the NTIA Organization Act, as amended 
(47 U.S.C. 923(i)). NTIA has adopted regulations that govern the 
working of any dispute resolution boards established by NTIA. See 47 
CFR part 301. Those regulations cover matters related to the workings 
of a board, including the content of any request to establish a board, 
the associated procedures for convening it, and the

[[Page 54717]]

dispute resolution process itself. Membership of a dispute resolution 
board shall be composed of a representative of OMB, NTIA, and the FCC, 
each appointed by the head of his or her respective agency. The OMB 
representative serves as the Chair of any board. With respect to the 
resolution of any disputes that may arise, the law and NTIA's rules 
require a board to meet simultaneously with representatives of the 
Federal entity and the non-Federal user to discuss the dispute.
    41. The Spectrum Act requires a board to rule on the dispute within 
thirty (30) days after a party has requested NTIA to convene the board. 
47 U.S.C. 923(i)(4). As stated in Annex O, ``[t]he statute's 30-day 
deadline for responding to formal dispute resolution requests could 
possibly impact a board's ability to convene, meet with the parties, 
and adequately address complex cases.'' NTIA Manual, Annex O at O.5.2 
para. 3. See 47 CFR 301.200(a)(2). At the same time, however, the 
statute and Annex O encourage cooperation to assure timely transitions 
between Federal and non-Federal use of the spectrum. If and when 
differences surface among Federal and non-Federal parties, NTIA's rules 
require the parties to make good faith efforts to solve these problems 
on an informal basis before submitting a formal request to establish a 
dispute resolution board. Id., Annex O. Informal negotiation, 
mediation, or non-binding arbitration efforts between the parties will 
help clearly define and narrow the issues that are necessary to bring 
into the formal dispute resolution process.
    42. The scope of a dispute resolution request and, consequently, a 
board's decision, are limited by law and NTIA's regulations to matters 
``regarding the execution, timing, or cost of the transition plan 
submitted by the Federal entity.'' 47 U.S.C. 923(i)(1). The statute 
authorizes a dispute resolution board to make binding decisions with 
respect to such matters that can be appealed to the United States Court 
of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. 47 U.S.C. 923(i)(7). 
Under NTIA's rules, that dispute resolution board must also ensure that 
its decision does not have a detrimental impact on any national 
security, law enforcement, or public safety function made known to the 
board by an agency. To fulfill that obligation, the board may request 
additional written submissions from an agency regarding the impact of 
such a decision on the agency's operations, services, or functions. See 
47 CFR 301.220(b). See also NTIA Manual, Annex O at O.5.2 para. 4.

V. Refined Protection Zones for 25 Satellite Earth Stations and 
Streamlined Coordination Option

    43. In the sub-band 1761-1780 MHz, Federal earth stations in the 
space operation service (Earth-to-space) may continue to transmit at 25 
sites and, under the Commission's rules, non-Federal (AWS-3) base 
stations must accept harmful interference caused by the operation of 
these Federal earth stations at these sites. See 47 CFR 2.106 footnote 
US91(b)(3), 27.11334(f). Under the Commission's rules, AWS 3 licensees 
must successfully coordinate with these Federal incumbents and the 
default Protection Zone is nationwide unless jointly refined by the FCC 
and NTIA. If reasonable modifications or new locations are required, 
these Federal incumbents must successfully coordinate with all affected 
AWS licensees. See 47 CFR 2.106 footnote US91(b)(3), 27.11334(f). The 
Commission noted in the AWS-3 R&O that ``federal incumbents remaining 
in the band must be able to have the flexibility to coordinate with 
commercial licensees if reasonable modification of existing, 
grandfathered operations are required in the future.'' See AWS-3 R&O, 
29 FCC Rcd at 4693 para. 222.
    44. The use of 1761-1780 MHz varies by earth station. CSMAC reports 
include analysis regarding representative use of the band at the sites 
and analysis showing the likelihood and geographical distribution of 
potential interference.

A. Protection Zones Near 25 Federal Satellite Uplinks

    45. AWS-3 licensees must successfully coordinate with Federal 
incumbents prior to operating a base station in a Protection Zone that 
enables mobiles and portables to transmit in the 1755-1780 MHz band. 47 
CFR 27.1134(f). See also 47 CFR 2.106 footnote US91(a), (b)(3). As 
described above, the default Protection Zone is nationwide unless 
jointly revised by the Commission and NTIA.
    46. Appendix C is divided into three subparts that refine the 
nationwide Protection Zone applicable to AWS-3 coordination with these 
Federal Earth stations, and provides details of the coordination 
process including a streamlined option for AWS-3 licensees to consider.
    47. Appendix C-1 provides geographic coordinates defining refined 
Protection Zones for AWS-3 coordination with these incumbents. Table 1 
is geographic coordinates defining refined protection zones for AWS-3 
Blocks H, I, and J (1760-1780 MHz) coordination with Federal Earth 
stations at 25 locations. Table 2 lists the Federal agency responsible 
for coordination at each SGLS site and the Economic Areas (EAs) 
partially or wholly contained within the associated coordination zone. 
Table 3 lists Economic Area (EA) and SGLS Sites. Appendix C-2 depicts 
maps showing these refined Protection Zones. By way of further 
refinement, the Protection Zones in Appendix C-1 will apply to base 
stations that enable mobiles and portables to transmit up to 30 dBm 
EIRP only in the AWS-3 Blocks H, I, and J (1760-1780 MHz). AWS-3 
licensees may operate in the Block G (1755-1760 MHz) up to 30 dBm EIRP 
without prior coordination with these Federal Earth stations.
    48. A streamlined framework is available to meet the coordination 
requirement associated with these 25 Protection Zones. If an AWS-3 
licensee elects not to use this streamlined framework, it must 
successfully coordinate with the relevant Federal incumbent prior to 
operating a base station in a Protection Zone in Appendix C-1 that 
enables mobile and portables to transmit in the 1760-1780 MHz band. 
AWS-3 licensees requesting coordination for a Protection Zone in 
Appendix C-1 have a streamlined option set forth in Appendix C-3 in the 
form of a template coordination agreement. Once an AWS-3 licensee 
completes and delivers (via the DoD Portal) a signed copy of the 
template agreement set forth in Appendix C-3, and the Federal agency 
countersigns, the Commission and NTIA will deem the coordination 
requirement satisfied for the AWS-3 licenses and Protection Zones 
listed in Table 1 of the agreement. Section 2, Table A of the template 
agreement calls for a description of license(s) to be subject to the 
agreement by State, Site, Call Sign, and Coordination Zone. Section 3 
of the template agreement calls for the AWS-3 licensee (and the Federal 
agency) to provide Point-of-Contact information. Sections 2 and 4 of 
the template agreement contemplate AWS-3 licensee notifications to the 
Federal agency. Federal agencies will complete and countersign a 
template agreement within thirty (30) calendar days of receiving one 
signed by the AWS-3 licensee. Note that satisfaction of the 
coordination requirement through this template agreement does not 
eliminate the need for coordination with other types of systems, under 
the procedures established herein, to avoid harmful interference into 
Federal systems in the

[[Page 54718]]

Protection Zones described in Appendix B. Exchange of information 
during execution of these coordination agreements may be facilitated by 
use of the DoD Portal described in section IV above.

B. Federal Coordination With All Affected AWS-3 Licensees

    49. Federal incumbents must successfully coordinate required, 
reasonable modifications of these Federal satellite earth stations in 
1755-1780 MHz beyond their current authorizations or the addition of 
new earth station locations with all affected AWS-3 licensees. 47 CFR 
2.106 footnote US91(b)(3). The modification or new station must be 
required, reasonable, and authorized by NTIA. The details of the 
coordination must be filed with NTIA and the Commission. Id. Prior NTIA 
authorization is required for any such modifications or new stations 
and NTIA will coordinate any such requests with the Commission so that 
the AWS-3 licensees affected by a proposed modification or new station 
can be determined on a case-by-case basis. For any affected AWS-3 
licenses in the Commission's inventory at the time of the request, the 
Federal incumbent must successfully coordinate the request with the 
Commission. Appendices to this public notice are formatted tables, 
images, and a sample coordination agreement that are available online 
at: www.ntia.doc.gov/category/aws-3-transition and https://
apps.fcc.gov/edocspublic/attachmatch/DA-14-1023A1.pdf.

Karl D. Nebbia,
Associate Administrator, Office of Spectrum Management, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Roger E. Sherman,
Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Federal Communications 
Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-21748 Filed 9-11-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P