FCC Application or
Notification for Spectrum Leasing Arrangement or Private Commons
Arrangement: WT and PSHS Bureaus
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
09/18/2024
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
01/31/2027
1,697
1,116
2,878
1,135
1,763,375
1,443,825
FCC Form 608 is a multi-purpose form.
It is used to provide notification or request approval for any
spectrum leasing arrangement (“Lease”) entered into between an
existing licensee in certain Wireless and/or Public Safety Radio
Services and a spectrum lessee. This form also is required to
notify or request approval for any spectrum subleasing arrangement
(“Sublease”). The data collected on the form is used by the FCC to
determine whether the public interest would be served by the Lease
or Sublease. The form is also used to provide notification for any
Private Commons Arrangement entered into between a licensee,
lessee, or sublessee and a class of third-party users (as defined
in Section 1.9080 of the Commission’s Rules). On March 15, 2024,
the Commission released a Report and Order and Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking in GN Docket No. 23-65 and IB Docket No.
22-271, FCC 24-28, (Report and Order), which adopted a regulatory
framework for the provision of supplemental coverage from space
(SCS). This proceeding will enable collaborations between satellite
service providers and terrestrial service providers to offer
ubiquitous connectivity directly to consumer handsets using
spectrum that was previously allocated only to terrestrial service.
The Commission anticipates that SCS will enable consumers in areas
not covered by terrestrial networks to be connected using their
existing devices via satellite-based communications. SCS is a
crucial component of the Commission’s vision for a “single network
future,” in which satellite and terrestrial networks work
seamlessly together to provide coverage that neither network can
achieve on its own. The Report and Order adopts new part 1 rules
that require spectrum lessees to provide certain information in
existing FCC Form 608. Namely, under new section 1.9047, such
parties must provide: (1) a certification that the parties are
entering into the leasing arrangement for the purpose of fulfilling
the part 25 entry criteria; (2) a description of which method,
single or multiple terrestrial licensee, the parties are utilizing
to meet the part 25 entry criteria; and (3) if the parties are
utilizing the multiple terrestrial licensee method, the parties
should: (a) describe the nature of the leasing arrangement(s); and
(b) demonstrate how the entirety of the geographically independent
area (GIA) is covered by the lease arrangement(s). This process
utilizes the Commission’s current application approval and
notification processing procedures, which will remove unnecessary
delay by employing the procedures that are already in place.
Entities completing FCC Form 608 for the purposes of providing SCS
must notify the Commission that the application is related to SCS.
To properly comply, entities will indicate that the application is
for SCS by so indicating in a new checkbox on Form 608. This
process utilizes an existing Commission form, which will remove
confusion by employing the procedures that are already in
place.
This information collection
will result in program change increases of 581 to the number of
respondents, 581 to the annual number of responses, and 1,743 to
the total estimated burden hours and $319,550 in annual cost in
order to complete the new SCS lease disclosures.
$0
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Dorothy Stifflemire 202
418-7349
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.