# Presentation: 691384

## Auction No. 61:  Automated Maritime Telecommunications Service (AMTS) Service Rules and Due Diligence Ghassan Khalek, Electronics Engineer, Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division (PSCID)Jim Shaffer, Telecommunications Policy Analyst, PSCIDJeff Tobias, Special Counsel, PSCID

## Disclaimer

- These slides are provided by Bureau staff for informational purposes only.  Nothing herein is intended to supersede any provision of the Commission's rules or public notices.  These slides should not be used as a substitute for a prospective applicant's review of the Commission's relevant orders, rules, and public notices.  Prospective applicants must familiarize themselves thoroughly and remain current with the Commission's rules relating to AMTS, rules relating to application and auction procedures, and the procedures, terms and conditions contained in the Auction No. 61 public notices.

## Background of Proceeding PR Docket 92-257-5th Report and Order, FCC 02-74, rel. Apr. 8, 2002, 17 FCC Rcd 6685—adopted service rules, including licensing and technical rules-3rd Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 03-270, rel. Nov. 18, 2003, 18 FCC Rcd 24391—on reconsideration, revised incumbent interference protection standard-Notice of Proposed Rule Making, FCC 04-171, rel. July 30, 2004, 19 FCC Rcd 20071 – proposed to permit VPC and AMTS licensees to provide private land mobile radio service to units on landAvailable at FCC web site through EDOCS; visit http://www.fcc.gov/searchtools.html and select EDOCS, then enter FCC number

## Licenses to Be Auctioned

- Two channel blocks (Block A:  217.500-218/219.500-220 MHz; Block B:  217-217.500/219-219.500 MHz)
- Ten AMTS Areas (AMTSAs), consisting of one or more Economic Areas (EAs), as listed in 47 C.F.R.                      § 80.385(a)(3)  (Note:  AMTS not permitted in American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.)
- May be licensed on both channel blocks in an AMTSA

## Slide 5

## Service Rules

- An AMTS is a specialized system of coast stations providing integrated and interconnected marine voice and data communications, somewhat like a cellular phone system, for tugs, barges, and other vessels on waterways. Section 80.475(c):  Private coast service may be provided in lieu of public coast service.
- Section 80.123:  Public correspondence service to units on land is also permitted, provided that
-    -    marine-originating communications receive priority
-    -    land units are limited to 25 watts power
-    -    land units communicate only through the coast station, and not directly
- Section 80.49(a)(3):  Coverage requirement:  Substantial service within ten years, i.e., at the time of license renewal.  Safe harbor examples:  For service areas containing major waterway(s), continuous coverage of 2/3 of those waterways; for service areas without major waterways, coverage of 2/3 of the area’s population.  [Major waterways:  Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River, Tennessee River, Arkansas River, Red River, and Columbia River, *see* 5th Report and Order at n.203]
- Section 80.60:  Partitioning (dividing geographic areas) and disaggregation (dividing spectrum) are permitted.

## Technical Rules

- Part 80 Subpart E sets forth general technical standards.
- Section 80.481:  The 25-kHz band plan in Section 80.385(a)(2) is optional.  However, regardless of the channelization scheme used, emissions at the band edges must be attenuated within the limitation that would be required under Section 80.211 if the licensee were using 25 kHz channels.
- Sections 80.215(h), 80.385(a)(2):  AMTS stations causing interference to prior-authorized television service or to the U.S. Navy SPASUR system (216.880-217.080 MHz) must cure the problem or discontinue operations.  (SPASUR receive sites:  Fort Stewart, GA; Hawkinsville, GA; Greenville, MS; Lewisville, AR; Truth or Consequences, NM; and Chula Vista, CA)
- Stations may be constructed anywhere within the service area without filing an individual application, except:
- Section 80.385(b):  stations requiring an Environmental Assessment or international coordination, or affecting radio frequency quiet zones
- Sections 80.215(h)(2), 80.475(a):  stations within 169 km (105 mi) of a Channel 13 TV station, within 105 km (80 mi) of a Channel 10 TV station, or with an antenna height greater than 61 m (200 ft).  Applications for such stations must contain an engineering study showing how harmful interference to television reception will be avoided, and notice must be provided to the affected broadcaster(s).  [Location of Channel 10 and 13 TV stations can be obtained from the Media Bureau’s web site at _[http://](http://www.fcc.gov/mb/video/tvq.html)__[www.fcc.gov/mb/video/tvq.html](http://www.fcc.gov/mb/video/tvq.html)_.]

## Incumbent Protection

- 115 site-based incumbent call signs, almost all with multiple authorized locations.  Incumbents are located mainly along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and Gulf of Mexico.
- Section 80.385(b)(1):  Geographic area licensee must locate its stations at least 120 km from co-channel site-based licensees.  Shorter separations will be considered upon a technical showing that at least 18 dB of protection will be provided to the site-based licensee’s 38 dBu signal level contour.

## Due DiligenceDue diligence information is contained in the Procedures PN, DA 05-1047, rel. April 21, 2005. Interference protection:  As noted above, co-channel site-based incumbents must receive interference protection.  Information on site-based incumbents, and on pending modification or renewal applications, is available on ULS (http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls).  Television and SPASUR operations also must be protected as discussed above.  In addition, law enforcement tracking operations are currently authorized on a primary basis in certain markets in AMTSAs 3, 4, 6, 9, and 10 on a frequency in Block A.  These operations are scheduled to be converted to non-AMTS frequencies by 2007.  Potential applicants are solely responsible for identifying associated risks and for investigating and evaluating the degree to which such matters may affect their ability to bid on, or otherwise acquire, or make use of licenses available in Auction No. 61. Pending proceedings:  Certain matters relating to licenses available at auction may be pending or subject to administrative or judicial review.  Such matters may include, e.g., petitions for rulemaking, applications, requests for special temporary authority, waiver requests, petitions to deny, petitions for reconsideration, and applications for review.  The Procedures PN lists certain pending judicial proceedings relating to various site-based applications.

## The End