2296 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 

unauthorized parties cannot access or 

alter the white space database or the list 

of available channels sent to white 

space devices or otherwise affect the 

database system or white space devices 

in performing their intended functions 

or in providing adequate interference 

protections to authorized services 

operating in the TV bands, the 600 MHz 

duplex gap, the 600 MHz service band, 

and 608–614 MHz (channel 37). In 

addition, a white space database must 

also verify that the FCC identifier (FCC 

ID) of a device seeking access to its 

services is valid; under the requirement 

in this paragraph (a)(1) the white space 

database must also verify that the FCC 

ID of a Mode I device provided by a 

fixed or Mode II device is valid. A list 

of devices with valid FCC IDs and the 

FCC IDs of those devices is to be 

obtained from the Commission’s 

Equipment Authorization System. 

* * * * * 

(e) * * * 

(1) Fixed, mobile, and Mode II white 

space devices must provide their 

location and required identifying 

information to the white space database 

in accordance with the provisions of 

this subpart. 

(2) Fixed, mobile, and Mode II white 

space devices shall not transmit unless 

they receive, from the white space 

database, a list of available channels and 

may only transmit on the available 

channels on the list provided by the 

database. 

(3) Fixed and mobile white space 

devices register and receive a list of 

available channels from the database by 

connecting to the internet, either 

directly or through another fixed white 

space device that has a direct 

connection to the internet. Fixed 

devices must also register with the 

database in accordance with paragraph 

(g) of this section. 

* * * * * 

(6) A fixed device with an antenna 

height above ground that exceeds 30 

meters or an antenna height above 

average terrain (HAAT) that exceeds 250 

meters generally, or 500 meters in less 

congested areas shall not be provided a 

list of available channels. The HAAT is 

to be calculated using computational 

software employing the methodology in 

§ 73.684(d) of this chapter. 

* * * * * 

(h) Mode II personal/portable and 

mobile device information to database. 

(1) A mobile device and a personal/ 

portable device operating in Mode II 

shall provide the database its FCC 

Identifier (as required by § 2.926 of this 

chapter) and serial number as assigned 

by the manufacturer. 

(2) A personal/portable device 

operating in Mode II shall provide the 

database the device’s geographic 

coordinates (latitude and longitude 

(NAD 83)). 

(3) A mobile device shall provide the 

database with the boundaries of the geofenced area in which it will operate. 

Alternatively, the boundaries of the geofenced area may be loaded from the 

database into the mobile device. 

* * * * * 

(l) * * * 

(2) A white space database shall verify 

that the FCC identification number 

supplied by a fixed, mobile, or personal/ 

portable white space device is for a 

certified device and may not provide 

service to an uncertified device. 

* * * * * 

■ 8. Amend § 15.714 by revising 

paragraph (a) to read as follows: 

§ 15.714 White space database 

administration fees. 

(a) A white space database 

administrator may charge a fee for 

provision of lists of available channels 

to fixed, mobile, and personal/portable 

devices and for registering fixed 

devices. This paragraph (a) applies to 

devices that operate in the TV bands, 

the 600 MHz service band, the 600 MHz 

duplex gap, and 608–614 MHz (channel 

37). 

* * * * * 

■ 9. Amend § 15.715 by revising 

paragraph (e) to read as follows: 

§ 15.715 White space database 

administrator. 

* * * * * 

(e) Provide accurate lists of available 

channels and the corresponding 

maximum permitted power for each 

available channel to fixed, mobile, and 

personal/portable white space devices 

that submit to it the information 

required under § 15.713(e), (g), and (h) 

based on their geographic location and 

provide accurate lists of available 

channels and the corresponding 

maximum permitted power for each 

available channel to fixed, mobile, and 

Mode II devices requesting lists of 

available channels for Mode I devices. 

Database administrators may allow 

prospective operators of white space 

devices to query the database and 

determine whether there are vacant 

channels at a particular location. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2020–26706 Filed 1–11–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

47 CFR Part 73 

[MB Docket No. 20–331; RM–11863; DA 20– 

1436; FRS 17286] 

Television Broadcasting Services; 

Mesa, Arizona 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Media Bureau, Video 

Division (Bureau) has before it a notice 

of proposed rulemaking issued in 

response to a petition for rulemaking 

filed by Multimedia Holdings 

Corporation (Multimedia), licensee of 

KPNX, channel 12 (NBC), Mesa, 

Arizona, requesting the substitution of 

channel 18 for channel 12 at Mesa in the 

DTV Table of Allotments. The Bureau 

had instituted a freeze on the 

acceptance of rulemaking petitions by 

full power television stations requesting 

channel substitutions in May 2011 and 

waived the freeze to consider 

Multimedia’s proposal to substitute 

channel 18 at Mesa. TEGNA, Inc., filed 

comments in support of the petition 

reaffirming its commitment to applying 

for channel 18. The Bureau believes the 

public interest would be served by the 

substitution and will permit the station 

to better serve its viewers, who have 

experienced reception problems with 

VHF channel 12. 

DATES: Effective January 12, 2021. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joyce Bernstein, Media Bureau, at 

Joyce.Bernstein@fcc.gov, or (202) 418– 

1647. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a 

synopsis of the Commission’s Report 

and Order, MB Docket No. 20–331; RM– 

11863; DA 20–1436, adopted December 

2, 2020, and released December 2, 2020. 

The full text of this document is 

available for download at https://

www.fcc.gov/edocs. To request materials 

in accessible formats for people with 

disabilities (braille, large print, 

electronic files, audio format), send an 

email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the 

Consumer & Governmental Affairs 

Bureau at 202–418–0530 (voice), 202– 

418–0432 (tty). 

This document does not contain 

information collection requirements 

subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995, Public Law 104–13. In addition, 

therefore, it does not contain any 

proposed information collection burden 

‘‘for small business concerns with fewer 

than 25 employees,’’ pursuant to the 

Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2021 / Rules and Regulations 2297 

2002, Public Law 107–198, see 44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(4). Provisions of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act of 1980, 5 U.S.C. 601– 

612, do not apply to this proceeding. 

The Commission will send a copy of 

this Report and Order in a report to be 

sent to Congress and the Government 

Accountability Office pursuant to the 

Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 

801(a)(1)(A). 

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73 

Television. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Thomas Horan, 

Chief of Staff, Media Bureau. 

Final Rule 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Federal Communications 

Commission amends 47 CFR part 73 as 

follows: 

PART 73—RADIO BROADCAST 

SERVICES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 73 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 301, 303, 

307, 309, 310, 334, 336, 339. 

§ 73.622 [Amended] 

■ 2. Amend § 73.622(i), the PostTransition Table of DTV Allotments 

under Arizona, by removing channel 12 

and adding channel 18 at Mesa. 

[FR Doc. 2020–27981 Filed 1–11–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 665 

[Docket No. 210106–0003] 

RTID 0648–XP014 

Pacific Island Pelagic Fisheries; 2021 

U.S. Territorial Longline Bigeye Tuna 

Catch Limits 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Final specifications. 

SUMMARY: NMFS specifies a 2021 limit 

of 2,000 metric tons (t) of longlinecaught bigeye tuna for each U.S. Pacific 

territory (American Samoa, Guam, and 

the Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands (CNMI), the territories). 

NMFS will allow each territory to 

allocate up to 1,500 t in 2021 to U.S. 

longline fishing vessels through 

specified fishing agreements that meet 

established criteria. The overall 

allocation limit among all territories, 

however, may not exceed 3,000 t. As an 

accountability measure, NMFS will 

monitor, attribute, and restrict (if 

necessary) catches of longline-caught 

bigeye tuna, including catches made 

under a specified fishing agreement. 

These catch limits and accountability 

measures support the long-term 

sustainability of fishery resources of the 

U.S. Pacific Islands. 

DATES: The final specifications are 

effective January 12, 2021, through 

December 31, 2021. The deadline to 

submit a specified fishing agreement 

pursuant to 50 CFR 665.819(b)(3) for 

review is July 12, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Fishery 

Ecosystem Plan for Pelagic Fisheries of 

the Western Pacific (FEP) are available 

from the Western Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council), 1164 

Bishop St., Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 

96813, tel 808–522–8220, or 

www.wpcouncil.org. 

Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act, the Council 

and NMFS prepared environmental 

analyses that support this action, 

available from http://

www.regulations.gov/ 

#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2020- 

0010. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lynn Rassel, NMFS PIRO Sustainable 

Fisheries, 808–725–5184. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS is 

specifying a 2021 catch limit of 2,000 t 

of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each 

U.S. Pacific territory. NMFS is also 

authorizing each U.S. Pacific territory to 

allocate up to 1,500 t of its 2,000 t 

bigeye tuna limit, not to exceed a 3,000 

t total annual allocation limit among all 

the territories, to U.S. longline fishing 

vessels permitted to fish under the FEP. 

A specified fishing agreement with the 

applicable territory must identify those 

vessels. 

NMFS will monitor catches of 

longline-caught bigeye tuna by the 

longline fisheries of each U.S Pacific 

territory, including catches made by 

U.S. longline vessels operating under 

specified fishing agreements. The 

criteria that a specified fishing 

agreement must meet, and the process 

for attributing longline-caught bigeye 

tuna, will follow the procedures in 50 

CFR 665.819. When NMFS projects that 

the fishery will reach a territorial catch 

or allocation limit, NMFS will, as an 

accountability measure, prohibit the 

catch and retention of longline-caught 

bigeye tuna by vessels in the applicable 

territory (if the territorial catch limit is 

projected to be reached), and/or vessels 

in a specified fishing agreement (if the 

allocation limit is projected to be 

reached). 

You may find additional background 

information on this action in the 

preamble to the proposed specifications 

published on November 9, 2020 (85 FR 

71300). Regardless of the final 

specifications, all other existing 

management measures will continue to 

apply in the longline fishery. 

Comments and Responses 

On November 9, 2020, NMFS 

published the proposed specifications 

and request for public comments (85 FR 

71300); the comment period closed on 

November 24, 2020. NMFS received 

comments on the proposed 

specifications from one person. NMFS 

considered these comments in making 

its decision on this action, and responds 

below. We made no changes to the final 

specifications. 

NMFS specifically invited public 

comments on the effect of the proposed 

action on cultural fishing in American 

Samoa; we received no relevant 

comments on this issue. 

Comment 1: Catch limits should be 

reduced because the styrofoam and 

plastic, with chemicals in them, used in 

longline fishing gear pose controversial 

implications for ecosystems, fish, and 

the food chain. Mitigation efforts should 

be made to protect consumers from 

harmful chemicals. 

Response: NMFS has no information 

that longline fishing, including the gear 

used, results in significant adverse 

impacts to the marine habitat or food 

chain. Federal laws and regulations 

strictly regulate the disposal of waste in 

ocean waters. NMFS also notes that 

fisheries observers collect information 

on the frequency, location and 

composition of marine debris. During 

2008–2016, NMFS observers on Hawaii 

vessels reported 1,326 marine debris 

items intercepted by longlines. While 

derelict fishing gear made up most of 

the debris, most (52 percent) was 

netting, and ropes and other types of 

lines (27 percent). Floats and 

monofilament fishing line used in 

longline fishing made up less than 9 

percent of the debris. When longline 

fishermen snag marine debris in their 

gear, they typically bring it on board 

and disposed of in port. This prevents 

future entanglement with sea life and 

entry into the food chain. 

Comment 2: Longline gear poses a 

threat to seabirds, most notably 

endangered albatross, that dive for 

baited lines and are hooked or entangled 

and drowned. 


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