**FCC 06-50**

**Released: April 20, 2006**

**THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND THE NATIONAL
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION -- COORDINATION
PROCEDURES IN THE 1710-1755 MHz BAND**

**WTB Docket No. 02-353**

By the Commission: Chairman Martin and Commissioners Copps, Adelstein
and Tate.

By this joint Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) and the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) provide information to assist coordination in the
1710-1755 MHz band, to facilitate the transition of this band from
federal government use to non-federal use. Specifically, we provide
guidance to assist the Commission's Advanced Wireless Service (AWS)
licensees in this band to begin implementing service during the
transition of federal operations from the band while providing
interference protection to incumbent federal government operations until
they have been relocated to other frequency bands or technologies.

In 2002, NTIA released a Viability Assessment report which concluded
that the 1710-1755 MHz band could be reallocated from federal government
use to non-federal use to accommodate AWS.[^1] As a result, the
Commission conducted a proceeding in which it allocated spectrum for AWS
in the 1710-1755 MHz, 2110-2150 MHz and 2150-2155 MHz bands.[^2] The
Commission subsequently adopted service rules for AWS in these bands,
including application, licensing, operating and technical rules.[^3] The
1710-1755 MHz band is currently used for federal government operations
for fixed and transportable microwave and aviation-related safety
communications, and by the Department of Defense (DOD) for fixed
microwave, tactical radio relay, and aeronautical mobile stations.

On December 23, 2004, the President signed into law Public Law No.
108-494, the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (CSEA).[^4] The CSEA
provides a funding mechanism to relocate incumbent federal government
operations in certain bands, including the 1710-1755 MHz band.[^5] The
CSEA requires NTIA to provide to the Commission relocation cost and
timeline estimates "by the geographic location of the Federal entities'
facilities or systems and the frequency bands used by such facilities or
systems ... \[t\]o the extent practicable and consistent with national
security considerations . . . ."[^6] On December 27, 2005, NTIA provided
the Commission with the following information[^7] for each federal
station in the 1710-1755 MHz band:

-   Serial Number

-   Longitude/Latitude of Transmitter and Receiver sites

-   Frequency Center Channel

-   Bureau Code (Agency Identifier)

-   Service Type (*e.g.,* fixed microwave, aeronautical)

-   Relocation Timeline

-   Cost Estimate

-   Agency Point of Contact.

The CSEA permits the Commission to grant commercial licenses in these
bands prior to relocation of federal government operations and the
termination of a federal entity's authorization.[^8] However, the CSEA
requires the Commission to condition such licenses by requiring that
commercial licensees "cannot cause harmful interference to such Federal
entity until such entity\'s authorization has been terminated by
\[NTIA\]."[^9] Harmful radiofrequency interference could cause systems
or networks to experience catastrophic outages affecting critical
missions, such as the operation of electric grids. Moreover,
catastrophic outages can result in loss of life, property, and power at
the local, state, interstate and international levels. In order to
effectuate the CSEA's prohibition against harmful interference against
federal incumbent operations, the Commission will condition AWS licenses
on licensees coordinating frequency usage with known co-channel and
adjacent channel incumbent federal users operating in the 1710-1755 MHz
band. The condition will apply prior to licensees initiating operations
from base or fixed stations where such operations may impact incumbent
federal users.

Operational sharing of spectrum by federal government and non-federal
stations is subject to the interference regulations prescribed by the
Commission.[^10] The *AWS Service Rules R&O* prescribed in-band
protection for federal government DOD stations at 16 protected sites
based on use of coordination zones around those sites.[^11] The
Commission prescribed in-band protection for other federal government
stations pending their relocation, based on the same technical standard
(TIA Telecommunications Systems Bulletin 10-F) that has been used for
clearance of microwave service from the Broadband Personal
Communications Service (PCS) and other bands.[^12]

Operational sharing of spectrum by federal government and non-federal
stations is also subject to coordination procedures that the Commission
and NTIA jointly establish and implement to ensure against harmful
interference.[^13] In this regard, the Commission, in consultation with
NTIA, will require all AWS licensees to coordinate AWS use of the
1710-1755 MHz band during the transition so that licensees can deploy
their systems in a timely and efficient manner without causing harmful
interference to existing federal operations during the transition.
Coordination will assist new licensees in determining when new systems
can be deployed without causing harmful interference to federal
incumbents. At the same time, coordination will provide federal
incumbents with some assurance that critical operations will not be
interrupted due to harmful interference.

The Commission's Part 24 and Part 101 rules contain coordination rules
applicable to shared use of the PCS band which may provide guidance
regarding similar procedures that could be used in the AWS band. These
rules require licensees to coordinate their frequency usage with the
co-channel or adjacent channel incumbent fixed microwave licensees
before initiating operations.[^14] In engineering a system or
modification thereto, the applicant must, by appropriate studies and
analyses, select sites, transmitters, antennas and frequencies that will
avoid interference in excess of permissible levels to other users. All
applicants and licensees must cooperate fully and make reasonable
efforts to resolve technical problems and conflicts that may inhibit the
most effective and efficient use of the radio spectrum; however, the
party being coordinated with is not obligated to suggest changes or
re-engineer a proposal in cases involving conflicts.

To help AWS licensees satisfy the coordination condition that we intend
to place on their licenses, the Commission provides the following
pre-operational procedures. Adherence to these procedures would
constitute a reasonable effort on the part of AWS licensees to comply
with the license condition that they coordinate frequency usage with
incumbent federal users.

-   The AWS licensee, or a third-party coordinator on its behalf,
    contacts the appropriate federal agency to get information necessary
    to perform an interference analysis.[^15] The AWS licensee enters
    into Non-Disclosure Agreements, as appropriate, with the subject
    federal agency.

-   If a federal agency does not provide the necessary information
    within 30 days of a request, AWS licensees may contact NTIA for
    assistance.

-   Using TIA Bulletin 10F, or an alternative method agreed to by the
    parties in cases in which TIA 10F does not apply, AWS licensees make
    the interference analysis necessary for determining whether new AWS
    operations would potentially interfere with nearby incumbent
    operations.

-   The AWS licensee or a third-party coordinator sends the interference
    analysis to the appropriate designated agency contact for review.

-   The federal agency will have 60 days from acknowledgement of receipt
    of the interference analysis, to review the interference analysis.
    At the end of 60 days, if the federal agency does not raise an
    objection, the AWS licensee may commence operations.

-   If an agency notifies a licensee that it is experiencing
    interference, the AWS licensee turns off the offending station
    immediately and makes any necessary changes to eliminate
    interference.

In addition, to facilitate coordination, NTIA will require federal
agencies to adhere to the following procedures**:**

-   Agencies cooperate with licensees when contacted by providing,
    within 30 days of a request, site specific technical information
    necessary to complete the interference analysis.

-   If an agency disapproves of an interference analysis submitted by an
    AWS licensee, the agency will provide the licensee with a detailed
    rationale for its disapproval.

-   Should harmful interference occur, agencies will work in good faith
    to identify the source of the harmful interference and work with AWS
    licensees to eliminate or mitigate the interference.

To further facilitate the coordination process, NTIA has published a
list of agency contacts on its web site at
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/reports/specrelo/pdf/1710-1755MHz_points_of_contact.pdf>
to enable licensees and federal agencies operating in their license area
to coordinate more closely. NTIA has also published information on the
federal government operations in the 1710-1755 MHz band at
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/reports/specrelo/index.htm> and will
periodically update this information as well as provide the relocation
status of the stations used for federal government operations throughout
the transition.

The Commission and NTIA anticipate that following the above-outlined
procedures will enable most AWS stations to be successfully coordinated
and to start operations without causing interference to federal
operations during the transitional period. However, during the
coordination process, AWS licensees unable to reach agreement on the
mitigation of interference may seek redress from the Commission. For
federal agencies, in the event that the potential for harmful
interference cannot be resolved satisfactorily, the matter may be
referred to the NTIA, for assistance.

For further information, contact:

**Federal Communications Commission:**

Wireless Telecommunications Bureau: Peter Corea or Blaise Scinto at
(202) 418-0600

Office of Engineering and Technology: Ronald Repasi at (202) 418-2472

**National Telecommunications and Information Administration:**

Edward Drocella, Office of Spectrum Management, (202) 482-2608

Action by the Commission on April 19, 2006.

--FCC--

[^1]: *See* NTIA Report, "An Assessment of the Viability of
    Accommodating Advanced Mobile Wireless (3G) Systems in the 1710-1770
    MHz and 2110-2170 MHz Bands" (July 22, 2002) (available at
    <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/threeg/va7222002/3Gva072202web.htm>).

[^2]: Amendment of Part 2 of the Commission' Rules to Allocate Spectrum
    Below 3 GHz for Mobile and Fixed Services to Support the
    Introduction of New Advanced Wireless Services, including Third
    Generation Wireless Systems, ET Docket No. 00-258, *Second Report
    and Order*, 17 FCC Rcd 23193 (2002).

[^3]: *See Service Rules for Advanced Wireless Services in the 1.7 GHz
    and 2.1 GHz* *Bands,* Report and Order, WT Docket No. 02-353, 18 FCC
    Rcd 25162 (2003); *modified by* Service Rules for Advanced Wireless
    Services in the 1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz Bands, WT Docket No. 02-353,
    *Order on Reconsideration*, 20 FCC Rcd 14058 (2005) (codified at 47
    C.F.R. Part 27, Subpart L) (*AWS Service Rules R&O*).

[^4]: Pub. L. No. 108-494, 118 Stat. 3896, 3992 (2004).

[^5]: Title II of Pub. L. No. 108-494, 118 Stat. 3986, 3991 (2004)
    (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 928).

[^6]: 118 Stat. at 3992-93 (codified at 47 U.S.C. §§ 923(g)(4)(A), (C)).

[^7]: The most current version of this information can be found at the
    NTIA website at
    <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/reports/specrelo/index.htm>.

[^8]: 118 Stat. 3994 (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 309(j)(15)(c)).

[^9]: *Id.; see also* 47 C.F.R. § 27.1134 (Protection of Federal
    Government Operations).

[^10]: 47 U.S.C. § 923(b)(2)(C).

[^11]: 47 C.F.R. § 27.1134(a).

[^12]: 47 C.F.R. § 27.1134(b). Protection of non-DoD operations in the
    1710--1755 MHz and 1755--1761 MHz bands. Until such time as non-DoD
    systems operating in the 1710--1755 MHz and 1755--1761 MHz bands are
    relocated to other spectrum, AWS licensees shall protect such
    systems by satisfying the appropriate provisions of TIA
    Telecommunications Systems Bulletin 10--F, "Interference Criteria
    for Microwave Systems," May, 1994 (TIA 10--F).

[^13]: 47 U.S.C. § 923(b)(2)(C).

[^14]: *See, e.g*., 47 C.F.R. §§ 24.237 and 101.103.

[^15]: This includes federal agencies that are authorized to operate
    transportable microwave equipment throughout the country on
    frequencies with which the AWS licensee might potentially interfere,
    as well as federal agencies with classified operations. Classified
    information will be handled in accordance with Executive Order
    13292.