Notice2024-19068
Information Sought on Sharing in the 18 GHz Band in Connection With the National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission's Space and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus and the Offices of International Affairs and Engineering and Technology seek information on sharing in the 18 GHz band in connection with the National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 174 (Monday, September 9, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 174 (Monday, September 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73088-73089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19068]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[GN Docket No. 24-248; DA 24-815; FR ID 240542]
Information Sought on Sharing in the 18 GHz Band in Connection
With the National Spectrum Strategy Implementation Plan
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission's
Space and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus and the Offices of
International Affairs and Engineering and Technology seek information
on sharing in the 18 GHz band in connection with the National Spectrum
Strategy Implementation Plan.
DATES: Comments are due by September 5, 2024. Reply comments are due by
September 16, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by GN Docket No. 24-248,
by any of the following methods:
[ssquf] Federal Communications Commission's Website: <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/">https://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/</a>. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
[ssquf] People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#490f0a0a7c797d092f2a2a672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3a7c79790f0a0e7a5c5959145d554c">[email protected]</span></a> or phone: 202-418-
0530 or TTY: 202-418-0432.
For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional
information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this document. To request materials in
accessible formats for people with disabilities, send an email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c98f8a8afcf9fd89afaaaae7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d5939696e0e5e195b3b6b6fbb2baa3">[email protected]</span></a> or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at
202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bahman Badipour, Office of Engineering
and Technology, 202-418-7814, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8be9eae3e6eae5a5e9eaefe2fbe4fef9cbede8e8a5ece4fd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c7a5a6afaaa6a9e9a5a6a3aeb7a8b2b587a1a4a4e9a0a8b1">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's
document, DA 24-248, released August 16, 2024, by the Space and
Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus and the Offices of Engineering and
Technology and International Affairs under delegated authority pursuant
to 47 CFR 0.31, 0.131, 0.261, and 0.351. The full text of the document
is available at <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-information-sharing-18-ghz-band">https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-information-sharing-18-ghz-band</a>.
Comment Filing Requirements
Interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or
before the dates indicated in the DATES section above. Comments may be
filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).
<bullet> Electronic Filers. Comments may be filed electronically
using the internet by accessing the ECFS, <a href="http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs">http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs</a>.
<bullet> Paper Filers. Parties who choose to file by paper must
file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by
commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S.
Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
<bullet> Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive,
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express,
and Priority mail must be addressed to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC
20554.
<bullet> Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the
Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings.
This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety
of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. See FCC
Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window and Change in Hand-
Delivery Policy, Public Notice, DA 20-304 (March 19, 2020). <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy">https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy</a>.
<bullet> Persons with Disabilities. To request materials in
accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print,
electronic files, audio format), send an email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="177174742227235771747439707861">[email protected]</a> or
call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice)
or 202-418-0432 (TTY).
Synopsis
The Space Bureau, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, the Office of
International Affairs, and the Office of Engineering and Technology
(collectively Bureaus/Offices) seek to further develop the record for
the 18.1-18.6 GHz band (18 GHz band) with the goal of informing the
forthcoming report
[[Page 73089]]
mandated by the National Spectrum Strategy (NSS) Implementation Plan.
The NSS identified the 18 GHz band as a potential band for expanded
Federal and non-Federal satellite operations, consistent with the U.S.
position at the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23),
which would add space-to-space allocations to this band (among others).
Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS) downlink operations are currently
authorized in the band. In addition, non-Federal Fixed Service is
authorized in the 18.1-18.3 GHz segment of the band. The final report
with findings is to be completed by May 2025.
Background. In 2006, the Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) released the Report and Order rechannelizing the 17.7-19.7
GHz band for Fixed Microwave Services under part 101 of the
Commission's rules (71 FR 69039, Nov. 29, 2006) (18 GHz R&O). As part
of the 18 GHz R&O, the Commission adopted a revised band plan for the
17.7-18.3 and 19.3-19.7 GHz band, designated a contiguous 600 megahertz
block of one way spectrum from 17.7-18.3 GHz for use by multichannel
video programming distributors (MVPDs), and protected certain federal
earth stations in the FSS (space-to-Earth) in the 17.7-17.8 GHz band.
United States federal systems are authorized to operate in the 17.8-
20.2 GHz band in accordance with footnote US334 in the United States
Table of Frequency Allocations. Coordination between non-federal
operations, both terrestrial and satellite, and these federal
operations remain in effect.
WRC-23 and 18 GHz. Under Agenda Item 1.17 of WRC-23, the Conference
considered appropriate regulatory actions for the provision of inter-
satellite links in the frequency bands 11.7-12.7 GHz, 18.1-18.6 GHz,
18.8-20.2 GHz and 27.5-30.0 GHz. During the ITU-R study cycle leading
up to the Conference, the United States and other administrations
developed extensive sharing and compatibility studies to assess the
feasibility of introducing satellite-to-satellite links in the 18 GHz
band, among others. Based on these studies, at WRC-23 the United States
and other member states of the Inter-American Telecommunication
Commission (CITEL) supported a common regional proposal to add an
inter-satellite service allocation in bands including the 18 GHz band,
under certain conditions. WRC-23 ultimately adopted inter-satellite
service allocations in the 18 GHz and other bands in the International
Table of Frequency Allocations subject to a new Resolution and
additional restrictions.
WRC-15 NPRM and 18.142-18.3 GHz. In April 2023, the Commission
sought comment on whether it should raise the non-Federal secondary FSS
(space-to-Earth) allocation in the 18.142-18.3 GHz band to primary
status, i.e., co-equal with the non-Federal primary fixed service
allocation in the band (88 FR 67160, Sept. 29, 2023). If adopted, this
upgrade of allocation status would provide receiving earth stations
with interference protection from later-licensed fixed stations that
are used for part 74 and part 101 Multichannel Video Programming
Distributor (MVPD) and part 78 cable television relay service (CARS)
operations that operate in accordance with the proposed rules in this
section.
National Spectrum Strategy. The NSS identifies the 18 GHz band as a
band for further study. The NSS Implementation Plan establishes a
schedule under which a band study would be completed by February 2025
and a final report issued by May 2025. In order to aid the band study
and report preparation, the Bureaus/Offices seek public input on
various issues relating to current or potential uses of the 18 GHz
band. Specifically, the Bureaus/Offices seek comment on whether the
assumptions and analysis on which the WRC-23 decision was based are
still valid. Commenters advocating that the NSS band study should be
based on different assumptions or analysis should provide detailed
technical information describing why they disagree with the previous
work and what assumptions they favor and their preferred analysis
method. The Bureaus/Offices also seek comment on the use cases
operators in the 18 GHz band plan to support and what regulatory
changes are needed to implement any allocation changes supported by the
record. In addition, the Bureaus/Offices seek comment on whether the
separately pending proposal to elevate the non-Federal FSS allocation
in the 18.142-18.3 GHz band to primary status would affect a new space
allocation in the 18 GHz band. The record developed in response to the
Public Notice will be publicly available in GN Docket No. 24-248 and
shared with the NTIA and other interested agencies.
Federal Communications Commission.
Troy Tanner,
Acting Chief, Office of International Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-19068 Filed 9-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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