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 PUBLIC  NOTICE  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  St.,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 DA  03-  19  Released:  January  3,  2003 
 WIRELESS  TELECOMMUNICATIONS  BUREAU  SEEKS  COMMENT  ON  SUPPLEMENTAL  COMMENTS  OF  THE  CONSENSUS  PARTIES  FILED  IN  THE  800  MHZ  PUBLIC  SAFETY 
 INTERFERENCE  PROCEEDING  -  WT  DOCKET  NO.  02-  55 
 Comment  Date  February  3,  2003  Reply  Comment  Date  February  18,  2003 


 On  December  24,  2002,  a  group  of  sixteen  parties  1  filed  Supplemental  Comments  of  the  Consensus  Parties  2  in  WT  Docket  02-  55,  Improving  Public  Safety  Communications  in  the  800  MHz 
 Band    Consolidating  the  900  MHz  Industrial/  Land  Transportation  and  Business  Pool  Channels.  3  In  these  comments,  the  parties  provide  additional  details  concerning  the  Consensus  Plan  for  addressing 
 interference  issues  in  the  800  MHz  band.  In  order  to  develop  a  full  and  complete  record,  the  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau  issues  this  public  notice  seeking  comment  on  the  Supplemental  Comments 


 1  The  Supplemental  Comments  of  the  Consensus  Parties  were  filed  by  Aeronautical  Radio,  Inc.,  the  American 
 Mobile  Telecommunications  Association,  the  American  Petroleum  Institute,  the  Association  of  Public  Safety  Communications  Officials    International,  Inc.,  Forest  Industries  Telecommunications,  the  Industrial 


 Telecommunications  Association,  Inc.,  the  International  Association  of  Chiefs  of  Police,  the  International  Association  of  Fire  Chiefs,  Inc.  and  International  Municipal  Signal  Association,  the  Major  Cities  Chiefs 
 Association,  the  Major  County  Sheriffs  Association,  the  National  Sheriffs  Association,  National  Stone,  Sand  and  Gravel  Association,  Nextel  Communications,  Inc.,  the  Personal  Communications  Industry  Association,  and  the 
 Taxicab,  Limousine  and  Paratransit  Association.  The  Association  of  American  Railroads,  a  signatory  to  the  initial  Consensus  Plan,  submitted  August  7,  2002,  became  a  signatory  to  the  supplemental  comments  on  December  31, 
 2002.  See  Letter  from  Jeremy  Denton,  Director,  Government  Affairs,  Industrial  Telecommunications  Association,  Inc.  and  Denis  J.  Starks,  Senior  Commerce  Counsel,  Law,  Regulatory  &  Legislative  Affairs,  Association  of 
 American  Railroads,  to  Marlene  H.  Dortch,  Secretary,  Federal  Communications  Commission,  dated  Dec.  31,  2002. 
 2  The  Consensus  Plan  was  submitted  on  August  7,  2002,  during  the  reply  comment  cycle  of  this  rule  making 
 proceeding.  The  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau  (Bureau)  sought  comment  on  the  Consensus  Plan.  See  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau  Seeks  Comment  on  Consensus  Plan  filed  in  the  800  MHz  Public  Safety 


 Interference  Proceeding,  Public  Notice,  17  FCC  Rcd  16755  (WTB  2002).  Subsequently,  the  Bureau  clarified  the  notice  to  explicitly  state  that  comments  could  address  other  band  plans  or  proposals  advanced  in  reply  comments. 
 See  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau  Clarifies  Scope  of  Comments  Sought  in  800  MHz  Public  Safety  Proceeding  (WT  Docket  No.  02-  55),  Public  Notice,  17  FCC  Rcd  17226  (WTB  2002).  In  their  reply  comments,  the 
 Consensus  Parties  stated  that  there  would  be  a  follow-  on  filing  addressing  Canadian  and  Mexican  border  issues  and  the  funding  for  relocation  of  public  safety  and  other  systems  as  necessary  to  implement  the  Consensus  Plan.  See 
 Consensus  Parties  Reply  Comments,  August  7,  2002,  at  16,  21  n.  60. 
 3  Although  the  parties  style  themselves  the  Consensus  Parties,  it  should  be  recognized  that  consensus  in  the 
 context  used  here  merely  denotes  that  the  signatories  have  reached  consensus  on  the  contents  of  their  filing.  The  filing  does  not  represent  a  consensus  reached  by  all  parties  participating  in  the  WT  Docket  02-  55  proceeding. 
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 of  the  Consensus  Parties  (Supplemental  Comments).  The  Commission  will  accept  comments  on  the  Supplemental  Comments  on  or  before  February  3,  2003;  and  reply  comments  on  or  before  February  18, 
 2003. 
 The  Supplemental  Comments  primarily  address  four  issues:  (1)  funding  for  the  Consensus  Plan;  (2)  procedures  and  processes  for  relocating  800  MHz  incumbents;  (3)  post-  realignment  interference 
 protection  standards;  and  (4)  border  area  realignment  plans.  4 
 Interested  parties  may  view  the  Supplemental  Comments  of  the  Consensus  Parties  on  the  Commissions  Electronic  Comment  Filing  System  (ECFS)  using  the  following  steps:  (1)  access  ECFS  at 
 http://  www.  fcc.  gov/  e-  file/  ecfs.  html.  (2)  In  the  introductory  screen,  click  on  Search  for  Filed  Comments.  (3)  In  the  Proceeding  box,  enter  02-  55.  (4)  In  the  Filed  on  Behalf  of  box,  enter 
 Consensus  Parties.  (5)  In  the  Date  Submitted  box,  enter  12/  24/  2002.  In  addition,  the  Supplemental  Comments  of  the  Consensus  Parties  will  be  available  for  inspection  and  duplication  during  regular 
 business  hours  in  the  FCC  Reference  Information  Center  (RIC)  of  the  Consumer  and  Governmental  Affairs  Bureau,  Federal  Communications  Commission,  445  12th  Street,  S.  W.,  Room  CY-  A257, 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554.  Copies  of  the  Supplemental  Comments  of  the  Consensus  Parties  also  may  be  purchased  from  the  Commissions  duplicating  contractor,  Qualex  International,  Portals  II,  445  12  th  Street, 
 S.  W.,  Room  CY-  B402,  Washington,  D.  C.  20554,  (202)  863-  2893,  facsimile  (202)  863-  2898,  or  via  e-mail  qualexint@  aol.  com.  For  further  information  regarding  the  public  reference  file  for  this  Public 
 Notice,  contact  Maria  Ringold,  Chief,  Wireless  Branch,  RIC,  (202)  418-  1355,  with  reference  to  the  DA  number  of  this  Public  Notice. 


 Comments  may  be  filed  using  the  ECFS  or  by  filing  paper  copies.  See  Electronic  Filing  of  Documents  in  Rule  Making  Proceedings,  63  Fed.  Reg.  24121  (1988).  Comments  filed  through  the  ECFS 
 can  be  sent  as  an  electronic  file  via  the  Internet  to  http://  www.  fcc.  gov/  e-  file/  ecfs.  html.  In  completing  the  transmittal  screen,  commenters  should  include  their  full  name,  U.  S.  Postal  Service  mailing  address,  and 
 the  docket  number  02-  55. 
 Parties  may  also  submit  an  electronic  comment  by  Internet  e-  mail.  To  get  filing  instructions  for  e-  mail  comments,  commenters  should  send  an  e-  mail  to  ecfs@  fcc.  gov,  and  should  include  the  following 
 words  in  the  body  of  the  message:  get  form  <your  e-  mail  address>.  A  sample  form  and  directions  will  be  sent  in  reply.  Parties  who  choose  to  file  by  paper  must  file  an  original  and  four  copies  of  each  filing. 
 Filings  can  be  sent  by  hand  or  messenger  delivery,  by  commercial  overnight  courier,  or  by  first-  class  or  overnight  U.  S.  Postal  Service  mail.  The  Commission's  contractor,  Vistronix,  Inc.,  will  receive  hand-delivered 
 or  messenger-  delivered  paper  filings  for  the  Commission's  Secretary  at  236  Massachusetts  Ave.,  N.  E.,  Suite  110,  Washington,  D.  C.  20002.  The  filing  hours  at  this  location  are  8:  00  a.  m.  to  7:  00 
 p.  m.  All  hand  deliveries  must  be  held  together  with  rubber  bands  or  fasteners.  Any  envelopes  must  be  disposed  of  before  entering  the  building.  Commercial  overnight  mail  (other  than  U.  S.  Postal  Service 
 Express  Mail  or  Priority  Mail)  must  be  sent  to  9300  East  Hampton  Drive,  Capitol  Heights,  MD  20743.  U.  S.  Postal  Service  first-  class  mail,  Express  Mail,  and  Priority  Mail  should  be  addressed  to  445  12  th 
 Street,  S.  W.,  Washington,  D.  C.  20554.  All  filings  must  be  addressed  to  the  Commission's  Secretary,  Office  of  the  Secretary,  Federal  Communications  Commission. 


 Action  by  Deputy  Chief,  Wireless  Telecommunications  Bureau. 
 -FCC- 
 4  The  Consensus  Plan  also  contains  a  proposal  for  relocating  SMR  licensees,  such  as  Southern  Linc,  from  the  806- 
 809  MHz/  851-  854  MHz  band  segment  which,  under  the  Consensus  Plan,  would  exclusively  be  used  by  public  safety  systems. 
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