6710 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 24 / Tuesday, February 5, 2008 / Notices 

1Presidential Memorandum on Spectrum Policy 

for the 21st Century, 69 FR 1568 (Jan. 9, 2004), 39 

Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 726, 727 (May 29, 2003), 

available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/ 

releases/2003/06/20030605-4.html. 

2 Department of Commerce, Spectrum Policy for 

the 21st Century - The President’s Spectrum Policy 

Initiative: Report 1 Recommendations of the Federal 

Government Spectrum Task Force (June 2004) 

(‘‘Report 1’’); Department of Commerce, Spectrum 

Policy for the 21st Century - The President’s 

Spectrum Policy Initiative: Report 2 

Recommendations From State and Local 

Governments and Private Sector Responders (June 

2004) (‘‘Report 2’’). These reports are available at 

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/. 

3President’s Memorandum on Improving 

Spectrum Management for the 21st Century, 49 

Weekly Comp. Pres. Doc. 2875 (Nov. 29, 2004). 

4By this Notice, NTIA is implementing its 

responsibilities under the President’s November 

2004 Executive Memorandum. The FCC is also 

designating spectrum and establishing procedures 

for the Test-Bed through a public notice. Public 

Notice, Federal Communications Commission 

Designates Spectrum and Provides Guidance for 

Participation in a Spectrum Sharing Innovation 

Test-Bed, ET Docket No. 06–89. 

5Report 1, supra note 2, Recommendation 11; 

Report 2, supra note 2, Recommendation 6(b). 

6National Telecommunications and Information 

Administration, Docket, No. 060602142-6142- 

01,Notice of Inquiry, 71 FR 33282 (June 8, 2006). 

47256). The GHLs are intended to serve 

as a benchmark harvest level for 

participants in the charter fishery. 

This announcement is consistent with 

50 CFR 300.65(c)(2), which requires that 

GHLs for IPHC regulatory areas 2C and 

3A be specified by NMFS and 

announced by publication in the 

Federal Register no later than 30 days 

after receiving information from the 

IPHC. The IPHC annually establishes 

the constant exploitation yield (CEY) for 

halibut in IPHC regulatory areas 2C and 

3A. Regulations at § 300.65(c)(1) 

establish the GHLs based on the CEY 

that is established annually by the IPHC. 

The CEY established by the IPHC for 

2008 is 6,500,000 lb (2,948.4 mt) in Area 

2C and 28,960,000 lb (13,136.0 mt) in 

Area 3A. The corresponding GHLs are 

931,000 lb (447.2 mt) in Area 2C, and 

3,650,000 lb (1,655.6 mt) in Area 3A. 

The GHL in Area 2C has been reduced 

from the 2007 level of 1,432,000 lb 

(649.5 mt). The GHL for Area 3A did not 

change. 

This is a notice of the GHLs in Areas 

2C and 3A for 2008 and does not require 

any regulatory action by NMFS. If a 

GHL is exceeded in 2008, NMFS will 

notify the North Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council) in 

writing within 30 days of receipt of that 

information. The Council has proposed 

management actions to reduce the 

harvest of Pacific halibut in the Area 2C 

guided charter vessel fishery to the GHL 

(72 FR 74257, December 31, 2007). The 

Secretary of Commerce may issue a final 

rule after consideration of the 2008 GHL 

and public comments on the proposed 

rule. 

Classification 

This notice does not require any 

additional regulatory action by NMFS 

and does not impose any additional 

restrictions on harvests by the charter 

fishery. If a GHL is exceeded in any 

year, the Council would be notified, but 

would not be required to take action. 

This process of notification is intended 

to provide the Council with information 

about the level of Pacific halibut harvest 

by the charter fishery in a given year 

and could prompt future action. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq. 

Dated: January 30, 2008. 

Emily H. Menashes, 

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–2057 Filed 2–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Telecommunications and 

Information Administration 

[Docket No. 080129095–8096–01] 

Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed 

AGENCY: National Telecommunications 

and Information Administration, U.S. 

Department of Commerce 

ACTION: Notice of Solicitation of 

Participation 

SUMMARY: On June 8, 2006, the 

Department of Commerce’s National 

Telecommunication and Information 

Administration (NTIA) published a 

Notice of Inquiry in the Federal Register 

seeking public comment on the 

implementation of the Presidential 

Spectrum Policy Initiative Spectrum 

Sharing Innovation Test-Bed (Test-Bed). 

This Notice of Solicitation of 

Participation seeks expressions of 

interest from parties that may be willing 

to participate in the Test-Bed. 

DATES: Expressions of interest are due 

on or before February 29, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Expressions of interest 

should be sent to the attention of Ed 

Drocella, Office of Spectrum 

Management, 1401 Constitution 

Avenue, N.W., Room 6725, Washington 

DC 20230; by facsimile transmission to 

(202) 482–4595; or by electronic mail to 

testbed@ntia.doc.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed 

Drocella at (202) 482–2608 or 

edrocella@ntia.doc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

In May 2003, President Bush 

established the Spectrum Policy 

Initiative to promote the development 

and implementation of a United States 

spectrum policy for the 21st Century.1

In response to the Spectrum Policy 

Initiative, the Secretary of Commerce 

established a Federal Government 

Spectrum Task Force and initiated a 

series of public meetings to address 

policies affecting spectrum use by the 

federal, state, and local governments, 

and the private sector. The 

recommendations resulting from these 

activities were included in two reports 

released by the Secretary of Commerce 

in June 2004.2 Based on the 

recommendations contained in these 

reports, the President directed the 

federal agencies on November 30, 2004, 

to plan the implementation of the 

recommendations contained in the 

reports.3

One of these recommendations stated 

that NTIA and the Federal 

Communications Commission (FCC), in 

coordination with the federal agencies 

are to establish a Test-Bed to examine 

the feasibility of increased sharing 

between federal and non-federal users.4

Specifically, the Test-Bed 

recommendation states: 

Within two years of this report’s 

publication, NTIA and the FCC should 

establish a pilot program to allow for 

increased sharing between federal and 

non-federal users. NTIA and the FCC 

should each identify a segment of 

spectrum of equal bandwidth within 

their respective jurisdiction for this 

program. Each segment should be 

approximately 10 MHz for assignment 

on a shared basis for federal and nonfederal use. The spectrum to be 

identified for this pilot program could 

come from bands currently allocated on 

either an exclusive or shared basis. Two 

years after the inception of the pilot 

program, NTIA and the FCC should 

provide reports outlining the results and 

suggesting appropriate procedures for 

expanding the program as appropriate.5

The recommendation to establish the 

Test-Bed recognized that the increased 

use of spectrum for federal and nonfederal communications necessitates 

increased sharing to benefit both federal 

and non-federal users of the spectrum. 

On June 8, 2006, NTIA published a 

Notice of Inquiry (NOI) in the Federal 

Register seeking public comment on 

issues related to the Test-Bed.6 The FCC 

also solicited public comment on issues 

related to the Test-Bed through a 


rmajette on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 24 / Tuesday, February 5, 2008 / Notices 6711 

7Federal Communications Commission, ET 

Docket No. 06-89, FCC 06-77, Creation of a 

Spectrum Sharing Innovation Test-Bed, 71 FR 

35675 (June 21, 2006). 

8The complete public comments filed in 

response to the NOI are available at http:// 

www.ntia.doc.gov. The complete public comments 

and reply comments filed in response to the PN are 

available on the FCC Electronic Comment Filing 

System (ET Docket No. 06-89). 

9Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory 

Committee Report: Opportunities Relating to the 

Spectrum Sharing Test Bed, available at http:// 

www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/reports/2007/ 

CSMAClTestBedlReport.pdf. 

10The IRAC, consisting of representatives of 20 

federal agencies, serves in an advisory capacity to 

the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 

Communications and Information. The IRAC assists 

the Assistant Secretary in the discharge of 

responsibilities pertaining to the use of the 

electromagnetic spectrum. 

11The subsequent designation of bands where the 

technologies might be authorized to operate on a 

permanent basis would be the subject of a separate 

rulemaking. 

12 Dynamic Spectrum Access technology allows a 

radio device to (i) evaluate its radio frequency 

environment using spectrum sensing, geo-location, 

or a combination of spectrum sensing and geolocation techniques, (ii) determine which 

frequencies are available for use on a noninterference basis, and (iii) reconfigure itself to 

operate on the identified frequencies. 

13There may be certain limitations on the peer 

review process to take into account the proprietary 

rights of the developers participating in the TestBed. As part of the Test-Bed, NTIA may enter into 

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements 

or Joint Project Agreements with the equipment 

developers. 

14The NTIA NOI proposed these criteria to 

evaluate the Test-Bed technologies and they are 

adopted as evaluation criteria herein. 

separate Public Notice (PN).7 There 

were 14 comments filed in response to 

the NOI and 16 comments and 9 reply 

comments filed in response to the PN.8

In addition, the public comments were 

reviewed by the Commerce Spectrum 

Management Advisory Committee 

(CSMAC), which was established as part 

the Presidential Spectrum Policy 

Initiative to advise the Assistant 

Secretary of Communications and 

Information, Department of Commerce, 

on needed reforms to spectrum policies 

and management to enable the 

introduction of new spectrum 

dependent technologies and services.9

NTIA also sought comments from the 

Interdepartment Radio Advisory 

Committee (IRAC).10 The public 

responses to the NTIA NOI and FCC PN 

as well as the comments provided by 

the CSMAC and the IRAC were used to 

develop the federal portion of the TestBed described below. 

II. Test-Bed Description 

Test-Bed Goal: To objectively 

evaluate new technologies to facilitate 

sharing between federal and non-federal 

spectrum users. If sharing is 

successfully demonstrated, the results of 

the Test-Bed can be used as the basis to 

establish service rules for the 

technologies that have operated in the 

Test-Bed frequency bands.11

Number of Simultaneously Operating 

Test-Beds: One. 

Test-Bed Technology: Equipment 

employing Dynamic Spectrum Access 

(DSA) technology.12

Test-Bed Frequency Band: 410-420 

MHz. 

Authorization of Test-Bed 

Operations: FCC Part 5 Experimental 

Radio Service Rules. 

Limitations on Test-Bed Operations: 

Frequency and/or geographic 

limitations may be identified as 

necessary. 

Protection of Incumbent Spectrum 

Users: To address potential interference 

to incumbent spectrum users the TestBed employing DSA equipment will be 

performed in three phases: 

Phase 1 - Equipment 

Characterization. Equipment employing 

DSA techniques will be sent to the 

NTIA Institute for Telecommunication 

Sciences in Boulder, Colorado and 

characterization measurements of the 

DSA capabilities in response to 

simulated environmental signals will be 

performed. 

Phase 2 - Evaluation of Capabilities. 

After successful completion of Phase 1, 

the DSA capabilities of the equipment 

in the geographic area of the Test-Bed 

will be evaluated. 

Phase 3 - Field Operation Evaluation. 

After successful completion of Phase 2, 

the DSA equipment will be permitted to 

transmit in an actual radio frequency 

signal environment. An automatic signal 

logging capability will be used during 

the operation of the Test-Bed to help 

resolve interference events if they occur. 

A point-of-contact will also be 

established to stop Test-Bed operations 

if interference is reported. 

Planning and Evaluation of Test-Bed: 

A flexible peer review process open to 

the public will be employed.13 Federal 

and non-federal users will have an 

opportunity to participate in the 

development of test plans, review status 

reports, and review the final report on 

the results of the Test-Bed. 

III. Expressions of Interest 

The following criteria will be used to 

evaluate the DSA technologies proposed 

for the Test-Bed:14

How well does the proposed 

technology achieve the goal of the TestBed? 

How readily available is the 

equipment proposed for the Test-Bed? 

How well does the proposed 

technology explore creative and original 

concepts in spectrum sharing? 

For the proposed technology, can the 

results of the Test-Bed be disseminated 

broadly to enhance scientific and 

technologic understanding? 

How well does the proposed 

technology address the potential impact 

on the incumbent spectrum user(s)? 

Can the proposed technology be 

adapted for a variety of services and 

applications, including broadband, 

military/homeland security, and public 

safety? 

Are there any technical factors that 

limit the proposed technology to a 

specific frequency range? 

Will the necessary technical support 

be provided to assure performance of 

the equipment during the Test-Bed? 

On or before February 29, 2008, 

interested parties wishing to participate 

in the Test-Bed should submit to the 

address set forth above, their name, 

address, phone number, e-mail address 

and a short description of the DSA 

technology. After receiving all 

submissions, NTIA may contact any 

party that submitted an expression of 

interest to follow-up on how its DSA 

technology would meet the above 

evaluation criteria. NTIA will send via 

U.S. mail a letter to the selected TestBed participants. NTIA will also publish 

a list of all Test-Bed participants on its 

website. 

Dated: January 30, 2008. 

Kathy D. Smith, 

Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications 

and Information Administration. 

[FR Doc. E8–2050 Filed 2–4–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–60–S 

COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS 

Notice of Meeting 

The next meeting of the U.S. 

Commission of Fine Arts is scheduled 

for 21 February 2008, at 10 a.m. in the 

Commission’s offices at the National 

Building Museum, Suite 312, Judiciary 

Square, 401 F Street, NW., Washington, 

DC 20001–2728. Items of discussion 

may include buildings, parks and 

memorials. 

Draft agendas and additional 

information regarding the Commission 

are available on our Web site: http:// 

www.cfa.gov. Inquiries regarding the 

agenda and requests to submit written 

or oral statements should be addressed 

to Thomas Luebke, Secretary, U.S. 

Commission of Fine Arts, at the above 

address, or call 202–504–2200. 

Individuals requiring sign language 

interpretation for the hearing impaired 

should contact the Secretary at least 10 


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