G/TBT/N/USA/1597  
6 April 2020  
(20-2735) 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 AME RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [1624]  
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 (12 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Proposed rule - In this document, the Commission proposes to 
revise our rules to provide additional opportunities for unlicensed white space devices 
operating in the broadcast television bands (TV Bands) to deliver w ireless broadband 
services in rural areas and applications associated with the Internet of Things (IOT). 
Therefore, the Commission offers several proposals to spur continued growth of the white 
space device ecosystem, especially for providing affordable br oadband service to rural and 
underserved communities that can help close the digital divide.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Prevention of deceptive practices and consumer protection; Cost saving and 
productivity enhancement  
8. Relevant documents:   
• 85 Federal Register (FR) 18901, 3 April 2020; Title 47 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Part 15:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-04-03/html/2020 -06569.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2020-04-03/pdf/2020 -06569.pdf  
• G/TBT/N/USA/1094 and G/TBT/N/USA/1 094/Add.1  Unlicensed White Space Devices  
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Amendment of 47 CFR Part 15 Rules for 
Unlicensed White Spaces Devices:  
https://www.fcc.gov/document/amendment -part-15-rules-unlicensed -white -
spaces -devices  G/TBT/N/USA/1597  
 
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  • Information on White Space accessible from the FCC's Electronic Document  
Management System (EDOCS) is available at:  
https://www.fcc.gov/edocs/search -
results?t=advanced&titleText=white%20space&bureaus%5B0%5D=OET  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  4 May 2020  
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/2020/TBT/USA/20_2451_00_e.pdf