G/TBT/N/USA/1702  
26 February 2021  
(21-1703) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [1731]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated  if different from above:   
Please submit comments to: USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point, Email: usatbtep@nist.gov  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Unlicensed 
white space devices; Telecommunication systems (ICS 33.040), Radiocommunications 
(ICS 33.060), Mobile services ( ICS 33.070), Audio, video and audiovisual engineering 
(ICS 33.160), Equipment for entertainment (ICS 97.200)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Unlicensed 
White Space Device Operations in the Television Bands (5 page(s), i n English)  
6. Description of content:  Proposed rule - In this document, the Commission seeks 
comment on the use of a terrain -based propagation model such as Longley -Rice for 
determining white space channel availability and seeks to develop a record on whe ther or 
not to implement such a model. In particular, the Commission seeks comment on the 
effect use of such a model would have on availability of channels for white space devices, 
how a terrain -based model such as Longley -Rice could be implemented within the current 
white space device framework, the technical parameters necessary to use such a model 
for identifying available spectrum while protecting incumbents from harmful interference, 
and various database and device implementation issues.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Prevention of deceptive practices and consumer protection  
8. Relevant documents:   
• 86 Federal Register (FR) 11490, 25 February 2021; Title 47 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Part 15:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-02-25/html/2021 -03437.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-02-25/pdf/2021 -03437.pdf  
This is a summary of the Commission's further notice of proposed rulemaking (FNPRM), 
in ET Docket No. 20 -36, FCC 20 -156, adopted on 27 October 2020, and released on 
28 October 2020. The full text of this document is available for public inspection and can 
be downloaded at: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fc c-increases -unlicensed -wireless -G/TBT/N/USA/1702  
 
- 2 - 
 
  operations -tv-white -spaces -0 or by using the search function for ET Docket No. 20 -36 on 
the Commission's ECFS web page at www.fcc.gov/ecfs . 
G/TBT/N/USA/1094 and  USA/1094 /Add.1  - Unlicensed White SpaceDevices  
The Commission's Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, ET Docket No. 16 -56, 
ET Docket No. 14 -165, and RM -11745, FCC 19 -24, adopted 19 March 2019 and released 
20 March 2019 can be downloaded from the Commission's website at 
https://www.fcc.gov/document/amendment -part-15-rules-unlicensed -white -spaces -
devices . 
G/TBT/N/USA/1597, G/TBT/N/ USA/1597/Add.1, and G/TBT/N/ USA/1597/Add.1/Corr.1  - 
Unlicensed Whit e Space Device Operations in the Television Bands   
The Commission's Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, ET Docket No. 16 -56, 
ET Docket No. 14 -165, and RM -11745, FCC 19 -24, adopted 19 March 2019 and released 
20 March 2019, can be  downloaded from  the Commission's website at 
https://www.fcc.gov/document/amendment -part-15-rules-unlicensed -white -spaces -
devices . 
WTO Members and  their stakeh olders are asked to submit comments to the  USA TBT 
Enquiry Point . Comments received  by the USA TBT Enquiry Point from WTO Members and 
their stakeholders will be  shared with the regulator and will also be  submitted to the  FCC's 
Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS)  if received within the comment period.  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  29 March 2021  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2021/TBT/USA/21_1527_00_e.pdf