G/TBT/N/USA/1698  
18 February 2021  
(21-1393) 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) [1727]  
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):  
Geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) space station; Aircraft and space vehicles in general 
(ICS 49.020), Space syst ems and operations (ICS 49.140)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Commission 
Rules To Enable GSO Fixed -Satellite Service (Space -to-Earth) Operations in the 
17.3-17.8 GHz Band, To Modernize Certain Rules Applicable to 17/2 4 GHz BSS Space 
Stations, and To Establish Off -Axis Uplink Power Limits for Extended Ka -Band FSS 
Operations (22 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Proposed rule - In this document, the Federal Communications 
Commission (FCC) proposes to permi t geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) space station in 
the fixed -satellite service (FSS) to operate downlinks (space -to-Earth) in the 
17.3-17.8 GHz frequency band, subject to certain limitations, and also proposes related 
technical updates to its rules gov erning the FSS and the Broadcasting -Satellite Service to 
prevent harmful interference.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Harmonization  G/TBT/N/USA/1698  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• 86 Federal Register (FR) 7660, 1 February 2021; Title 47 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Parts 2 and 25:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-02-01/html/2021 -00047.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2021-02-01/pdf/2021 -00047.pdf  
The full text of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available at 
https://www.fcc.gov/edocs/search -results?t=quick&fccdaNo=20 -158. This proposed rule 
is identified by IB Docket No. 20 -330. The Docket  Folder is available on the FCC website 
at https://www.fcc.gov/edocs/search -results?t=quick&dockets=20 -330 and provides 
access to primary documents as well as comments received (if any). Documents are also 
accessible from  the FCC's Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS)  by 
searching the IB Docket Number. WTO Members and  their stakeholders are asked to 
submit comments to the  USA TBT Enquiry Point . Comments receive d 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:  3 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_1228_00_e.pdf