Model City for Demonstrating and Evaluating Advanced Spectrum Sharing Technologies, 41262-41264 [2014-16529]

Download as PDF 41262 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 135 / Tuesday, July 15, 2014 / Notices notices of initiation and preliminary results. In its administrative practice, the Department has interpreted ‘‘substantially all’’ to mean producers accounting for at least 85 percent of the total U.S. production of the domestic like product covered by the order.19 Because Petitioners did not indicate whether they account for substantially all of the domestic production of wooden bedroom furniture, we are providing interested parties with the opportunity to address the issue of domestic industry support with respect to this proposed partial revocation of the order and we are not combining this notice of initiation with a preliminary determination pursuant to 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3)(ii). As explained below, this notice of initiation will afford all interested parties an opportunity to address the proposed partial revocation. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Public Comment Interested parties are invited to provide comments and/or factual information regarding this changed circumstances review, including comments concerning industry support. Comments and factual information may be submitted to the Department no later than 14 days after the date of publication of this notice. Rebuttal comments and rebuttal factual information may be filed with the Department no later than 10 days after the comments and/or factual information are filed with the Department.20 All submissions must be filed electronically using Enforcement and Compliance’s AD and CVD Centralized Electronic Service System (IA ACCESS).21 An electronically filed document must be received successfully in its entirety by the Department’s electronic records system, IA ACCESS, by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the due dates set forth in this notice. The Department will issue the preliminary results of this changed circumstances review, in accordance with 19 CFR 351.221(c)(3), which will set forth the factual and legal conclusions upon which the preliminary results are based, and a description of any action proposed because of those results. Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.221(b)(4)(ii), interested parties 19 See, e.g., Certain Cased Pencils From the Peoples’ Republic of China: Initiation and Preliminary Results of Antidumping duty Changed Circumstances Review, and Intent To Revoke Order in Part, 77 FR 42276 (July 18, 2012) (Pencils), unchanged in Certain Cased Pencils From the People’s Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review, and Determination To Revoke Order, in Part, 77 FR 53176 (August 31, 2012). 20 See 19 CFR 351.301(b)(2). 21 See, generally, 19 CFR 351.303. VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:46 Jul 14, 2014 Jkt 232001 will have an opportunity to comment on the preliminary results of the review. In accordance with 19 CFR 351.216(e), the Department will issue the final results of its AD changed circumstance review within 270 days after the date on which the review is initiated. This initiation is published in accordance with sections 751(b)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.216(b) and 351.221(b)(1). Dated: July 8, 2014. Christian Marsh, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Operations. [FR Doc. 2014–16585 Filed 7–14–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Telecommunications and Information Administration [Docket Number: 140708559–4559–01] RIN 0660–XC011 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [Docket Number: ET Docket No. 14–99] Model City for Demonstrating and Evaluating Advanced Spectrum Sharing Technologies National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice; request for comments. AGENCY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) issue this Joint Public Notice to seek public comment on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) recommendation that the Secretary of Commerce establish a public-private partnership to facilitate the creation of an urban test city that would support rapid experimentation and development of policies, underlying technologies, and system capabilities for advanced, dynamic spectrum sharing. The test services (referenced herein as a ‘‘Model City’’) for demonstrating and evaluating advanced spectrum sharing technologies could include large-scale sustainable facilities for systems-level testing in real-world environments across multiple frequency bands, including public safety and selected federal bands. Through this Joint Public Notice, NTIA and OET seek to promote the Model SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 City concept in conjunction with: (1) The new Center for Advanced Communications established by NTIA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and (2) the FCC’s existing experimental licensing program. Comments are due on or before August 29, 2014. ADDRESSES: Parties must file one copy of their written comments with the FCC, using one of the following addresses: • U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be sent to: Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. ET Docket No. 14–99. • Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to: 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. Parties must also file one copy with the FCC’s copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY–B402, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 488–5300, or via email to fcc@bcpiweb.com. Comments may also be submitted electronically by email to modelcity@ ntia.doc.gov or by mail to: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4096, Washington, DC 20230, Attn: Rangam Subramanian, Office of Spectrum Management. Written comments should be in standard Word or Adobe PDF format if submitted electronically. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rangam Subramanian, NTIA, at (202) 482–4399 or rangam@ntia.doc.gov, or Matthew Hussey, OET, at (202) 418– 3619 or mhussey@fcc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Background In July 2012, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a set of recommendations to the President on how to realize the full potential of government-held spectrum to spur economic growth by facilitating spectrum sharing as a mainline approach to spectrum management.1 This report (herein PCAST Report) concluded that clearing and reallocation of federal spectrum is no longer a sustainable basis for spectrum policy due to the high cost, lengthy time to 1 See Report to the President: Realizing the Full Potential of Government-Held Spectrum to Spur Economic Growth, at 49–50 (July 2012), available at https://go.usa.gov/k27R (PCAST Report). E:\FR\FM\15JYN1.SGM 15JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 135 / Tuesday, July 15, 2014 / Notices implement, and disruption to the federal mission.2 Based on this finding, the PCAST called for a new spectrum architecture premised on spectrum sharing rather than exclusive use. To bridge the gap from today’s spectrum use model to such a new regime, one of the PCAST’s recommendations was to create an urban test city in a major U.S city to support realistic, rapid experimentation in spectrum management technology and practice. Before and after the release of the PCAST Report, the Administration, NTIA, and the FCC launched several initiatives to facilitate research, development, testing, and evaluation of spectrum-sharing technologies. The 2010 Presidential Memorandum on ‘‘Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution’’ directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA in consultation with NIST, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other agencies as appropriate, to create and implement a plan to facilitate research, development, experimentation, and testing by researchers to explore innovative spectrum-sharing technologies.3 NTIA, NIST, and NSF, with support from the National Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program, formed the Wireless Spectrum R&D (WSRD) Senior Steering Group (SSG) to coordinate spectrum-related research and development activities across the federal government, private sector, and academia. The 2013 Presidential Memorandum on ‘‘Expanding America’s Leadership in Wireless Innovation’’ directed the Secretary of Commerce, working through NTIA, to continue to facilitate greater discussions between government and commercial stakeholders on spectrum sharing.4 Pursuant to this memorandum, the NITRD WSRD SSG, on behalf of NTIA and NIST, published a comprehensive inventory of federal and non-federal test facilities.5 NTIA and NIST also created a new Center for 2 See id. at vi. Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution (rel. June 28, 2010), published at 75 FR 38387 (July 1, 2010), available at https://go.usa.gov/8nr3. 4 See Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, Expanding America’s Leadership in Wireless Innovation (rel. June 14, 2013), published at 78 FR 37431 (June 20, 2013), available at https://go.usa.gov/8nr3 (2013 Presidential Memorandum). 5 See WSRD SSG National Wireless Testbed Information Portal, available at https://go.usa.gov/ 8ngh. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 3 See VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:46 Jul 14, 2014 Jkt 232001 Advanced Communications (CAC) to promote interdisciplinary research, development, and testing in several areas, including spectrum sharing and advanced technologies for broadband and public safety.6 The CAC will develop multiuser testbeds that allow government and industry researchers to measure and evaluate the performance of new advanced spectrum-sharing technologies. The 2013 Presidential Memorandum also directed NTIA to design and conduct a pilot program to monitor spectrum usage in real time in selected communities throughout the country to determine whether a comprehensive monitoring program in major metropolitan areas could disclose opportunities for more efficient spectrum access, including via sharing.7 In August 2013, NTIA published a Notice of Inquiry on the spectrum monitoring pilot program to solicit input from stakeholders, and has used some of the information collected from that inquiry to begin implementation of the pilot.8 The FCC recently modified its experimental licensing rules to provide a more flexible framework to keep pace with the speed of modern technological change, including advanced spectrum sharing concepts.9 The revised rules permit institutions to move from concept to experimentation to finished product as rapidly as possible using a new program experimental license that gives licensees more flexibility to conduct multiple experiments in certain locations without filing separate applications. Program licensees can also conduct specific types of experiments without individual authorizations in designated ‘‘innovation zones.’’ In March 2014, the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council (TAC) created a working group to study advanced sharing of federal and non-federal spectrum bands and enabling wireless technologies.10 This working group is developing key recommendations to 6 See NIST and NTIA Announce Plans to Establish New Center for Advanced Communications, Press Release (June 14, 2013), available at https://go.usa.gov/DTdG. 7 See 2013 Presidential Memorandum. 8 See NTIA, Spectrum Monitoring Pilot Program, Notice of Inquiry, 78 FR 50399 (Aug. 19, 2013), available at https://go.usa.gov/DWQw. 9 See FCC, Promoting Expanded Opportunities for Radio Experimentation and Market Trials Under Part 5 of the Commission’s Rules and Streamlining Other Related Rules, ET Docket No. 10–236, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd. 758 (Feb. 2013), available at https://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/ attachmatch/FCC-13-15A1_Rcd.pdf. 10 See TAC, Summary of Meeting at 36 (Mar. 10, 2014), available at https://transition.fcc.gov/ bureaus/oet/tac/tacdocs/meeting31014/ TACSummary3-10-14.pdf. PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 41263 support the creation of a Model City including scope, logistics, locations, frequency bands, and other operational issues and objectives. Discussion The purpose of this Joint Public Notice is to build upon the PCAST recommendations on test services necessary to demonstrate and evaluate advanced spectrum sharing technologies through the potential establishment of a Model City program. This program, if established, could facilitate large-scale sustainable facilities for systems level testing in real-world environments across multiple frequency bands, potentially including selected federal and non-federal frequency bands. NTIA and the FCC would work together in accordance with their respective areas of authority. The responses to this Joint Public Notice will help determine whether NTIA and/or the FCC may need to undertake additional actions or initiate formal proceedings. Through this Joint Public Notice, NTIA and OET seek comment on the PCAST recommendation and on ways to establish, fund, and conduct the Model City program. We also welcome stakeholder input on other measures that NTIA and the FCC could employ to promote the program, for example, through independent public-private partnerships among federal and local government stakeholders and commercial interests. We are soliciting ideas on how to move the PCAST recommendation forward and therefore seek comment on the next steps that NTIA and the FCC could take to develop specific approaches for effectively demonstrating and evaluating sharing technologies in real-world environments. NTIA and OET also seek comment on the types of spectrum sharing innovations and supported applications that would be good initial candidates for such evaluations, including their potential benefits, recommended spectrum bands for sharing, and appropriate operational requirements. NTIA and OET seek comment on the extent to which the Model City can and should be a largely self-organizing effort to establish independent public-private partnerships by industry, municipalities (or other political subdivisions), and other non-federal stakeholders. Particularly in light of the recent modifications to the FCC’s experimental licensing rules, how could the Model City take advantage of these rule changes without having to establish or fund a new federal program? What type of formal or informal agreements or arrangements among the non-federal E:\FR\FM\15JYN1.SGM 15JYN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 41264 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 135 / Tuesday, July 15, 2014 / Notices parties would be necessary to effectuate the Model City relationships and understandings between, for example, an industry consortium and the participating city? Beyond the FCC’s formal role in administering the experimental licensing process, NTIA and OET seek comment on how it could further expedite or streamline the process for Model City participants and more effectively ensure compliance with the rules and any license conditions. In addition to coordinating experimental license applications to use bands implicating federal spectrum assignments, to what extent should NTIA be involved in particular initiatives to facilitate federal agency participation in a Model City program? NTIA and OET seek input from commenting parties on whether the Model City program should be managed by the federal government or whether the FCC and NTIA could, on top of their existing licensing and coordination roles, help initiate and facilitate a dialogue between the key stakeholders who will directly develop, participate in, and benefit from a successful Model City program within the scope of existing rules or other requirements. The new CAC established by NTIA and NIST could be a potential vehicle to advance the Model City concept. As noted above, a core function of the CAC is to promote interdisciplinary research, development, and testing in radio frequency technology and spectrum sharing. NTIA and OET seek comment on the potential role of the CAC in managing the activities within one or more Model Cities, such as working directly with NTIA and the FCC to coordinate the interests of incumbent spectrum users to avoid harmful interference, while ensuring that innovators have access to adequate spectrum resources and other facilities in cooperation with city officials. While we would expect private sector stakeholders to drive the design and development of innovative wireless technologies and business models that could be tested in a Model City, NTIA and OET seek comment on how the CAC could work as an impartial facilitator with the federal and nonfederal stakeholders and local governments to develop feasible test plans, minimize regulatory issues and constraints, monitor experimental deployments, and evaluate and report the test results. The FCC’s experimental licensing program makes spectrum available to any non-federal party interested in experimenting with new radio technologies, equipment designs, radio VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:46 Jul 14, 2014 Jkt 232001 wave propagation characteristics, and innovative service concepts (including market trials), especially in new innovation zones. NTIA and OET seek comment on how this program can be effectively used as a platform for the establishment of the Model City. For example, how can the FCC and NTIA facilitate stakeholder deployment of innovation zones in one or more Model Cities? NTIA and OET invite commenters to suggest opportunities for collaboration among wireless service providers, hardware vendors, academia, federal agencies, and other researchers and developers. How would such collaboration in a Model City better facilitate more rapid experimentation of advanced spectrum sharing techniques between new commercial systems and incumbent or new federal systems? How would such collaborative use within Model City innovation zones enhance stakeholders’ ability to try various sharing concepts? For example, what kind of flexibility would stakeholders need to make adjustments as needed when developing sharing protocols under real-world scenarios while ensuring protection of other services and operations? The host community for a Model City could play a crucial and collaborative role by expediting access to rights-ofway and other facilities (e.g., fiber, conduits, poles, towers, buildings, rooftops, park spaces, tunnels, etc.) for short- and long-term wireless infrastructure and monitoring deployments. The PCAST Report suggests that regional clusters of local industry associations, government, and academia could develop proposals to host the Model City in their particular regions to leverage their own innovation investments, local suppliers, terrain characteristics, nearby federal installations, and other unique features and benefits.11 NTIA and OET seek comment on the most appropriate approach for soliciting or identifying eligible cities interested in hosting Model City deployments. What particular factors, accommodations, commitments, or benefits would be important? For example, how should local permitting processes, accessibility to city lands and facilities, or incentives be considered? What features of a Model City would be most attractive for candidate cities to participate in the program? Finally, NTIA and OET seek input on the potential funding mechanisms and other processes for establishing and maintaining one or more Model City PO 00000 11 See PCAST Report at 71. Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 deployments in a manner that facilitates potentially resource-intensive collaborative efforts among a wide range of stakeholders while minimizing expenditure of taxpayer (both federal and local) dollars. How should funding be addressed in Model City proposals and what minimal commitments should be required for such proposals to go forward? How would existing mechanisms, such as federal Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, be used to expand opportunities for private stakeholder funding, collaboration, and information protection, and what other alternative methods could be used to formalize the parties’ roles and responsibilities, including funding? What incentives might be provided, and by whom, to increase participation in a Model City program? What other factors should be considered in a process to solicit interest in and successfully initiate Model City proposals? Dated: July 10, 2014. Milton Brown, Deputy Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Dated: July 10, 2014. Julius P. Knapp, Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal Communications Commission. [FR Doc. 2014–16529 Filed 7–14–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–60–P DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary [Docket ID DoD–2014–OS–0108] Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records Defense Logistics Agency, DoD. Notice to amend a System of Records. AGENCY: ACTION: The Defense Logistics Agency is amending a system of records notice S900.50, entitled ‘‘Labor Hours, Project and Workload Records’’ in its existing inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. The purpose of this system is to track contractor employees’ and military members’ workload/project activity for analysis and reporting purposes, time and attendance, and labor distribution data against projects for management and planning purposes; to maintain management records associated with the operations of the contract; to evaluate and monitor the contractor performance and other matters concerning the contract. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\15JYN1.SGM 15JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 135 (Tuesday, July 15, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41262-41264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16529]


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

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket Number: 140708559-4559-01]
RIN 0660-XC011

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Docket Number: ET Docket No. 14-99]


Model City for Demonstrating and Evaluating Advanced Spectrum 
Sharing Technologies

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

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Office of 
Engineering and Technology (OET) issue this Joint Public Notice to seek 
public comment on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and 
Technology (PCAST) recommendation that the Secretary of Commerce 
establish a public-private partnership to facilitate the creation of an 
urban test city that would support rapid experimentation and 
development of policies, underlying technologies, and system 
capabilities for advanced, dynamic spectrum sharing. The test services 
(referenced herein as a ``Model City'') for demonstrating and 
evaluating advanced spectrum sharing technologies could include large-
scale sustainable facilities for systems-level testing in real-world 
environments across multiple frequency bands, including public safety 
and selected federal bands. Through this Joint Public Notice, NTIA and 
OET seek to promote the Model City concept in conjunction with: (1) The 
new Center for Advanced Communications established by NTIA and the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and (2) the FCC's 
existing experimental licensing program.

DATES: Comments are due on or before August 29, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Parties must file one copy of their written comments with 
the FCC, using one of the following addresses:
     U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority 
mail must be sent to: Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications 
Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. ET Docket No. 
14-99.
     Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to: 9300 East Hampton 
Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
    Parties must also file one copy with the FCC's copy contractor, 
Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., 
Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 488-5300, or via email to 
fcc@bcpiweb.com.
    Comments may also be submitted electronically by email to 
modelcity@ntia.doc.gov or by mail to: National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 
Constitution Avenue NW., Room 4096, Washington, DC 20230, Attn: Rangam 
Subramanian, Office of Spectrum Management. Written comments should be 
in standard Word or Adobe PDF format if submitted electronically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rangam Subramanian, NTIA, at (202) 
482-4399 or rangam@ntia.doc.gov, or Matthew Hussey, OET, at (202) 418-
3619 or mhussey@fcc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In July 2012, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and 
Technology (PCAST) released a set of recommendations to the President 
on how to realize the full potential of government-held spectrum to 
spur economic growth by facilitating spectrum sharing as a mainline 
approach to spectrum management.\1\ This report (herein PCAST Report) 
concluded that clearing and reallocation of federal spectrum is no 
longer a sustainable basis for spectrum policy due to the high cost, 
lengthy time to

[[Page 41263]]

implement, and disruption to the federal mission.\2\ Based on this 
finding, the PCAST called for a new spectrum architecture premised on 
spectrum sharing rather than exclusive use. To bridge the gap from 
today's spectrum use model to such a new regime, one of the PCAST's 
recommendations was to create an urban test city in a major U.S city to 
support realistic, rapid experimentation in spectrum management 
technology and practice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ See Report to the President: Realizing the Full Potential of 
Government-Held Spectrum to Spur Economic Growth, at 49-50 (July 
2012), available at https://go.usa.gov/k27R (PCAST Report).
    \2\ See id. at vi.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Before and after the release of the PCAST Report, the 
Administration, NTIA, and the FCC launched several initiatives to 
facilitate research, development, testing, and evaluation of spectrum-
sharing technologies. The 2010 Presidential Memorandum on ``Unleashing 
the Wireless Broadband Revolution'' directed the Secretary of Commerce, 
working through NTIA in consultation with NIST, the National Science 
Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other agencies 
as appropriate, to create and implement a plan to facilitate research, 
development, experimentation, and testing by researchers to explore 
innovative spectrum-sharing technologies.\3\ NTIA, NIST, and NSF, with 
support from the National Information Technology Research and 
Development (NITRD) program, formed the Wireless Spectrum R&D (WSRD) 
Senior Steering Group (SSG) to coordinate spectrum-related research and 
development activities across the federal government, private sector, 
and academia.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ See Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and 
Agencies, Unleashing the Wireless Broadband Revolution (rel. June 
28, 2010), published at 75 FR 38387 (July 1, 2010), available at 
https://go.usa.gov/8nr3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The 2013 Presidential Memorandum on ``Expanding America's 
Leadership in Wireless Innovation'' directed the Secretary of Commerce, 
working through NTIA, to continue to facilitate greater discussions 
between government and commercial stakeholders on spectrum sharing.\4\ 
Pursuant to this memorandum, the NITRD WSRD SSG, on behalf of NTIA and 
NIST, published a comprehensive inventory of federal and non-federal 
test facilities.\5\ NTIA and NIST also created a new Center for 
Advanced Communications (CAC) to promote interdisciplinary research, 
development, and testing in several areas, including spectrum sharing 
and advanced technologies for broadband and public safety.\6\ The CAC 
will develop multiuser testbeds that allow government and industry 
researchers to measure and evaluate the performance of new advanced 
spectrum-sharing technologies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ See Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and 
Agencies, Expanding America's Leadership in Wireless Innovation 
(rel. June 14, 2013), published at 78 FR 37431 (June 20, 2013), 
available at https://go.usa.gov/8nr3 (2013 Presidential Memorandum).
    \5\ See WSRD SSG National Wireless Testbed Information Portal, 
available at https://go.usa.gov/8ngh.
    \6\ See NIST and NTIA Announce Plans to Establish New Center for 
Advanced Communications, Press Release (June 14, 2013), available at 
https://go.usa.gov/DTdG.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The 2013 Presidential Memorandum also directed NTIA to design and 
conduct a pilot program to monitor spectrum usage in real time in 
selected communities throughout the country to determine whether a 
comprehensive monitoring program in major metropolitan areas could 
disclose opportunities for more efficient spectrum access, including 
via sharing.\7\ In August 2013, NTIA published a Notice of Inquiry on 
the spectrum monitoring pilot program to solicit input from 
stakeholders, and has used some of the information collected from that 
inquiry to begin implementation of the pilot.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See 2013 Presidential Memorandum.
    \8\ See NTIA, Spectrum Monitoring Pilot Program, Notice of 
Inquiry, 78 FR 50399 (Aug. 19, 2013), available at https://go.usa.gov/DWQw.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FCC recently modified its experimental licensing rules to 
provide a more flexible framework to keep pace with the speed of modern 
technological change, including advanced spectrum sharing concepts.\9\ 
The revised rules permit institutions to move from concept to 
experimentation to finished product as rapidly as possible using a new 
program experimental license that gives licensees more flexibility to 
conduct multiple experiments in certain locations without filing 
separate applications. Program licensees can also conduct specific 
types of experiments without individual authorizations in designated 
``innovation zones.'' In March 2014, the FCC's Technological Advisory 
Council (TAC) created a working group to study advanced sharing of 
federal and non-federal spectrum bands and enabling wireless 
technologies.\10\ This working group is developing key recommendations 
to support the creation of a Model City including scope, logistics, 
locations, frequency bands, and other operational issues and 
objectives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \9\ See FCC, Promoting Expanded Opportunities for Radio 
Experimentation and Market Trials Under Part 5 of the Commission's 
Rules and Streamlining Other Related Rules, ET Docket No. 10-236, 
Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd. 758 (Feb. 2013), available at https://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-13-15A1_Rcd.pdf.
    \10\ See TAC, Summary of Meeting at 36 (Mar. 10, 2014), 
available at https://transition.fcc.gov/bureaus/oet/tac/tacdocs/meeting31014/TACSummary3-10-14.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discussion

    The purpose of this Joint Public Notice is to build upon the PCAST 
recommendations on test services necessary to demonstrate and evaluate 
advanced spectrum sharing technologies through the potential 
establishment of a Model City program. This program, if established, 
could facilitate large-scale sustainable facilities for systems level 
testing in real-world environments across multiple frequency bands, 
potentially including selected federal and non-federal frequency bands. 
NTIA and the FCC would work together in accordance with their 
respective areas of authority. The responses to this Joint Public 
Notice will help determine whether NTIA and/or the FCC may need to 
undertake additional actions or initiate formal proceedings.
    Through this Joint Public Notice, NTIA and OET seek comment on the 
PCAST recommendation and on ways to establish, fund, and conduct the 
Model City program. We also welcome stakeholder input on other measures 
that NTIA and the FCC could employ to promote the program, for example, 
through independent public-private partnerships among federal and local 
government stakeholders and commercial interests. We are soliciting 
ideas on how to move the PCAST recommendation forward and therefore 
seek comment on the next steps that NTIA and the FCC could take to 
develop specific approaches for effectively demonstrating and 
evaluating sharing technologies in real-world environments. NTIA and 
OET also seek comment on the types of spectrum sharing innovations and 
supported applications that would be good initial candidates for such 
evaluations, including their potential benefits, recommended spectrum 
bands for sharing, and appropriate operational requirements.
    NTIA and OET seek comment on the extent to which the Model City can 
and should be a largely self-organizing effort to establish independent 
public-private partnerships by industry, municipalities (or other 
political subdivisions), and other non-federal stakeholders. 
Particularly in light of the recent modifications to the FCC's 
experimental licensing rules, how could the Model City take advantage 
of these rule changes without having to establish or fund a new federal 
program? What type of formal or informal agreements or arrangements 
among the non-federal

[[Page 41264]]

parties would be necessary to effectuate the Model City relationships 
and understandings between, for example, an industry consortium and the 
participating city? Beyond the FCC's formal role in administering the 
experimental licensing process, NTIA and OET seek comment on how it 
could further expedite or streamline the process for Model City 
participants and more effectively ensure compliance with the rules and 
any license conditions.
    In addition to coordinating experimental license applications to 
use bands implicating federal spectrum assignments, to what extent 
should NTIA be involved in particular initiatives to facilitate federal 
agency participation in a Model City program? NTIA and OET seek input 
from commenting parties on whether the Model City program should be 
managed by the federal government or whether the FCC and NTIA could, on 
top of their existing licensing and coordination roles, help initiate 
and facilitate a dialogue between the key stakeholders who will 
directly develop, participate in, and benefit from a successful Model 
City program within the scope of existing rules or other requirements.
    The new CAC established by NTIA and NIST could be a potential 
vehicle to advance the Model City concept. As noted above, a core 
function of the CAC is to promote interdisciplinary research, 
development, and testing in radio frequency technology and spectrum 
sharing. NTIA and OET seek comment on the potential role of the CAC in 
managing the activities within one or more Model Cities, such as 
working directly with NTIA and the FCC to coordinate the interests of 
incumbent spectrum users to avoid harmful interference, while ensuring 
that innovators have access to adequate spectrum resources and other 
facilities in cooperation with city officials. While we would expect 
private sector stakeholders to drive the design and development of 
innovative wireless technologies and business models that could be 
tested in a Model City, NTIA and OET seek comment on how the CAC could 
work as an impartial facilitator with the federal and non-federal 
stakeholders and local governments to develop feasible test plans, 
minimize regulatory issues and constraints, monitor experimental 
deployments, and evaluate and report the test results.
    The FCC's experimental licensing program makes spectrum available 
to any non-federal party interested in experimenting with new radio 
technologies, equipment designs, radio wave propagation 
characteristics, and innovative service concepts (including market 
trials), especially in new innovation zones. NTIA and OET seek comment 
on how this program can be effectively used as a platform for the 
establishment of the Model City. For example, how can the FCC and NTIA 
facilitate stakeholder deployment of innovation zones in one or more 
Model Cities?
    NTIA and OET invite commenters to suggest opportunities for 
collaboration among wireless service providers, hardware vendors, 
academia, federal agencies, and other researchers and developers. How 
would such collaboration in a Model City better facilitate more rapid 
experimentation of advanced spectrum sharing techniques between new 
commercial systems and incumbent or new federal systems? How would such 
collaborative use within Model City innovation zones enhance 
stakeholders' ability to try various sharing concepts? For example, 
what kind of flexibility would stakeholders need to make adjustments as 
needed when developing sharing protocols under real-world scenarios 
while ensuring protection of other services and operations?
    The host community for a Model City could play a crucial and 
collaborative role by expediting access to rights-of-way and other 
facilities (e.g., fiber, conduits, poles, towers, buildings, rooftops, 
park spaces, tunnels, etc.) for short- and long-term wireless 
infrastructure and monitoring deployments. The PCAST Report suggests 
that regional clusters of local industry associations, government, and 
academia could develop proposals to host the Model City in their 
particular regions to leverage their own innovation investments, local 
suppliers, terrain characteristics, nearby federal installations, and 
other unique features and benefits.\11\ NTIA and OET seek comment on 
the most appropriate approach for soliciting or identifying eligible 
cities interested in hosting Model City deployments. What particular 
factors, accommodations, commitments, or benefits would be important? 
For example, how should local permitting processes, accessibility to 
city lands and facilities, or incentives be considered? What features 
of a Model City would be most attractive for candidate cities to 
participate in the program?
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    \11\ See PCAST Report at 71.
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    Finally, NTIA and OET seek input on the potential funding 
mechanisms and other processes for establishing and maintaining one or 
more Model City deployments in a manner that facilitates potentially 
resource-intensive collaborative efforts among a wide range of 
stakeholders while minimizing expenditure of taxpayer (both federal and 
local) dollars. How should funding be addressed in Model City proposals 
and what minimal commitments should be required for such proposals to 
go forward? How would existing mechanisms, such as federal Cooperative 
Research and Development Agreements, be used to expand opportunities 
for private stakeholder funding, collaboration, and information 
protection, and what other alternative methods could be used to 
formalize the parties' roles and responsibilities, including funding? 
What incentives might be provided, and by whom, to increase 
participation in a Model City program? What other factors should be 
considered in a process to solicit interest in and successfully 
initiate Model City proposals?

    Dated: July 10, 2014.
Milton Brown,
Deputy Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.

    Dated: July 10, 2014.
Julius P. Knapp,
Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal Communications 
Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-16529 Filed 7-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P
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