In the 3.5 GHz Order, the Commission adopted rules to protect existing licenseesâ registered base stations in the 3650-3700 MHz band from harmful interference from Citizens Broadband Radio Service users for a fixed transition period. Pursuant to Section 96.21(a)(1) and (2) of the Commissionâs rules, during the transition period, existing licensees will receive protection for operations that are within their Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zone, provided that: (1) the stations were registered in the Commissionâs Universal Licensing System (ULS) on or before April 17, 2015; and (2) as of April 17, 2016 the stations were constructed, in service, and fully compliant with the relevant operating rules.
The 3.5 GHz Order established rules for commercial use of 150 megahertz in the 3.5 GHz Band and created a new Citizens Broadband Radio Service. The rules create additional capacity for wireless broadband by adopting a new approach to spectrum management to facilitate more intensive spectrum sharing between commercial and federal users and among multiple tiers of commercial users. Freeing additional spectrum is one of the Commissionâs core spectrum policy goals and the Presidentâs Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recommended that this band would be particularly well suited for spectrum sharing.
Before the release of the 3.5 GHz Order, the band segment was currently reserved for use by Department of Defense (DoD) radar systems and commercial fixed satellite service (FSS) earth stations (in the 3600-3650 MHz portion of the band), as well as Grandfathered Wireless Broadband Radio Services. The 3.5 GHz Order established a roadmap for making the entirety of the 3.5 GHz band available for commercial use in a phased manner. This sharing arrangement is part of a broader three-tiered sharing framework enabled by a Spectrum Access System (SAS). The SAS incorporates a dynamic spectrum database and serves as an advanced, highly automated frequency coordinator across the band.
Incumbent users represent the highest tier in this framework and receive interference protection from Citizens Broadband Radio Service users. Protected incumbents include the federal operations and FSS earth stations described above and, for a finite period, Grandfathered Wireless Broadband Licensees. Non-federal incumbents must register the parameters of their operations with the Commission and/or an SAS to receive protection from Citizens Broadband Radio Service users.
On August 19, 2016, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) released a Public Notice adopting the final methodology for determining Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zones for existing licensees in the 3650-3700 MHz band, establishing a baseline contour used to protect these areas. The Public Notice reiterated that licensees are required to certify which of their base stations were constructed, in service, and in full compliance with the rules by April 17, 2016. At the same time that licensees certify to the above they must identify whether or not that base station has unregistered Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and the distance to the furthest registered CPE for each sector. As stated in the Public Notice, the Commission is currently in the process of modernizing its Universal Licensing System (ULS) so that it will have the functionality to collect all the necessary data. When the mechanism is in place, WTB will communicate to the licensees the process by which they must submit this additional information. Then the existing registration data in ULS, along with the supplementary information provided by licensees, will determine the Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zone. The Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zones will then be communicated to the SASs. Implementing the Grandfathered Wireless Protection Zones will be a one-time event.
The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) requests Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to submit the revised information collection described herein under the âemergency processingâ provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (5 C.F.R. § 1320.13). The Commission is requesting clearance for a revision to a currently approved information collection to implement new collection requirements resulting from the Commissionâs adoption of new and modified rules for existing wireless broadband licensees in the 3650-3700 MHz band, authorized under Part 96, subpart Z of the Commissionâs rules (Grandfathered Wireless Broadband Licensees), and, in order to receive interference protection for registered stations, these licensees must notify the Commission that these stations were constructed, in service, and fully compliant with the relevant operating rules as of April 17, 2016. We respectfully request OMB approval for this revised information collection no later than 26 days after it is received at OMB.
Revisions to the information collection requirements in the 3.5 GHz Order aim to further the Commissionâs goal of promoting efficient spectrum sharing in its new tiered use regime. The following figures will be added to OMBâs inventory as a result of the information collection requirements contained in 3060-1211: 10,000 responses, 15,000 burden hours and $1,500,000 in annual cost.
$2,994,638
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Becky Schwartz 202 418-7178
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Emergency Supporting Emergency Statement OMB 3060-1211 (Construction info for GWBL) final2-2.doc
Emergency Justificaiton Letter.pdf
DA-16-946A1.docx
Commercial Operations in the 3550-3650 MHz Band