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Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 11/17/2015 - 00:00
This document resolves the remaining technical issues affecting the operation of new 600 MHz wireless licensees and broadcast television stations in areas where they operate on the same or adjacent channels in geographic proximity. Specifically, the Commission adopted the methodology and the regulatory framework for the protection of both wireless services and broadcasting in the post-auction environment that it proposed in October 2014. The Commission affirms its decision regarding the methodology to be used during the incentive auction to predict inter-service interference between broadcasting and wireless services. The Commission also affirmed its decision declining to adopt a cap on the aggregate amount of new interference a broadcast television station may receive from other television stations in the repacking process.

Promoting Spectrum Access for Wireless Microphone Operations

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 11/17/2015 - 00:00
In this document, the Commission takes several steps to accommodate the long-term needs of wireless microphone users. Wireless microphones play an important role in enabling broadcasters and other video programming networks to serve consumers, including as they cover breaking news and live sports events. They enhance event productions in a variety of settings--including theaters and music venues, film studios, conventions, corporate events, houses of worship, and internet webcasts. They also help create high quality content that consumers demand and value. In particular, the Commission provides additional opportunities for wireless microphone operations in the TV bands following the upcoming incentive auction, and provides new opportunities for wireless microphone operations to access spectrum in other frequency bands where they can share use of the bands without harming existing users.

Review of Foreign Ownership Policies for Broadcast, Common Carrier and Aeronautical Radio Licensees

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 11/06/2015 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to extend its foreign ownership rules and procedures that apply to common carrier licensees to broadcast licensees, with certain modifications to tailor them to the broadcast context. The Commission also seeks comment on whether and how to revise the methodology a licensee should use to assess its compliance with the 25 percent foreign ownership benchmark in section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, in order to reduce regulatory burdens on applicants and licensees. Finally, the Commission makes several proposals to clarify and update existing foreign ownership policies and procedures for broadcast, common carrier and aeronautical licensees.

Channel Sharing by Full Power and Class A Stations Outside the Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Context

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Mon, 11/02/2015 - 00:00
In this Second Order on Reconsideration, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) provides more flexibility to broadcasters interested in the channel sharing option in the broadcast incentive auction by clarifying that back-up channel sharing agreements (``CSAs'') are permitted under its rules and providing more time for successful bidders to transition to shared facilities after the auction. The Commission also provides guidance regarding how the CSA exception to the prohibited communications rule applies with respect to back-up CSAs.

Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions; Channel Sharing by Full Power and Class A Stations Outside the Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction Context

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Mon, 11/02/2015 - 00:00
In this document, the Commission refines the rules it adopted in the Incentive Auction Report and Order and the preceding Channel Sharing Report and Order to provide greater flexibility and certainty regarding channel sharing agreements (``CSAs''). Among other things, we modify our rules to allow broadcasters that relinquish rights in the incentive auction in order to channel share to enter into CSAs after the auction and, whether they enter into CSAs before or after the auction, to determine the length of their agreements.

Application Procedures for Broadcast Incentive Auction Scheduled To Begin on March 29, 2016; Technical Formulas for Competitive Bidding

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 10/29/2015 - 00:00
This document announces the final application procedures for the broadcast television spectrum incentive auction (Auction 1000), including the forward and reverse auctions (Auctions 1001 and 1002 respectively). This document also summarizes detailed information, instructions, and deadlines for filing applications, as well as certain post-auction procedures established by the Commission's prior orders.

Petitions for Reconsideration of Action in Rulemaking Proceeding

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 10/23/2015 - 00:00
Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking Proceeding by Ari Q. Fitzgerald, on behalf of GE Healthcare; Ronald J. Bruno on behalf of The VideoHouse, Inc.; Benjamin Perez on behalf of Abacus Television; Lawrence Rogow on behalf of WMTM, LLC; and Larry E. Morton on behalf of KMYA, LLC.

Broadcast Licensee-Conducted Contests

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 10/23/2015 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (``Commission'') amends the portion of its rules known as the ``Contest Rule'' to permit broadcast licensees to comply with their obligation to disclose material contest terms either by broadcasting those terms or by making them available in writing on a publicly accessible Internet Web site. In particular, the Commission amends the Contest Rule to allow licensees to satisfy their disclosure obligation by posting material contest terms on the station's Web site, the licensee's Web site, or, if neither the individual station nor the licensee has its own Web site, any Internet Web site that is readily accessible to the public. The Commission also adopts requirements that define the disclosure obligation in cases where a licensee has chosen to meet its obligation through an Internet Web site.

Preserving Vacant Channels in the UHF Television Band for Unlicensed Use

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Fri, 09/18/2015 - 00:00
In this document, the Media Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) provides notice of the revised comment and reply comment deadlines in this proceeding. The comment period in this proceeding has previously been suspended pending action in the Commission's incentive auction proceeding and the Media Bureau announces that it has been restarted and the new deadlines for filing comments and reply comments.

Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 09/17/2015 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, certain information collection requirements associated with the Commission's Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive Auctions Report and Order (Incentive Auction Report and Order), FCC 14- 50. This document is consistent with the Incentive Auction Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of to the new information collection requirements.

Reorganization of the Enforcement Bureau's Field Operations

The Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) acts to improve the Commission's efficiency, effectively manage Commission resources, and align the Commission's field enforcement activities with contemporary needs for a field enforcement presence. The Commission, the Office of Managing Director and the Enforcement Bureau will take several actions to realign the mission and resources of its 24 field offices. The Bureau's field offices will primarily support the enforcement of the Commission's radio frequency spectrum rules and other key regulations in a manner likely to have the greatest impact, in the most cost effective way possible.

Reorganization of the Enforcement Bureau's Field Operations

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 09/08/2015 - 00:00
The Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) acts to improve the Commission's efficiency, effectively manage Commission resources, and align the Commission's field enforcement activities with contemporary needs for a field enforcement presence. The Commission, the Office of Managing Director and the Enforcement Bureau will take several actions to realign the mission and resources of its 24 field offices. The Bureau's field offices will primarily support the enforcement of the Commission's radio frequency spectrum rules and other key regulations in a manner likely to have the greatest impact, in the most cost effective way possible.

Amendment of the Commission's Rules To Provide for the Preservation of One Vacant Channel in the UHF Television Band for Use by White Space Devices and Wireless Microphones

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Tue, 09/01/2015 - 00:00
In this document, the Commission proposes to designate a second available vacant channel in the UHF television band for use by white space devices and wireless microphones in those areas where the duplex gap of the 600 MHz Band is subject to impairment by a television station.

WRC-07 Implementation Report and Order and WRC-12 Order

In this document, the Commission implemented allocation changes from the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2007) (WRC-07) and updated related service rules. The Commission took this action in order to conform its rules, to the extent practical, to the decisions that the international community made at WRC-07. This action will promote the advancement of new and expanded services and provide significant benefits to the American people. In addition, the Commission revised the International Table of Frequency Allocations within its rules to generally reflect the allocation changes made at the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2012) (WRC-12).

WRC-12 Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva 2012)

In this document, the Commission proposes to implement certain allocation changes from the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2012) (WRC-12) and to update related service rules. The Commission took this action in order to conform its rules, to the extent practical, to the decisions that the international community made at WRC-12. This action will promote the advancement of new and expanded services and provide significant benefits to the American people. In addition, the Commission proposes to address several matters that pertain to unresolved issues from a previous Conference.

Shared Commercial Operations in the 3550-3650 MHz Band

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopts rules to establish a new Citizens Broadband Radio Service in the 3550--3700 MHz band. This document implements a three- tiered spectrum authorization framework in the 3550-3700 MHz band to facilitate a variety of small cell and other broadband uses of the band on a shared basis with incumbent federal and non-federal users.

Commission Seeks Comment on Shared Commercial Operations in the 3550-3700 MHz Band

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on three specific issues related to the establishment of a new Citizens Broadband Radio Service in the 3550-3700 MHz band (3.5 GHz Band). These issues are: Defining ``use'' of Priority Access License frequencies; implementing secondary markets in Priority Access Licenses; and optimizing protections for Fixed Satellite Services.

Operation of Radar Systems in the 76-81 GHz Band

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to authorize radar applications in the 76-81 GHz band. The Commission seeks to develop a flexible and streamlined regulatory framework that will encourage efficient, innovative uses of the spectrum and to allow various services to operate on an interference-protected basis. In doing so, it further seeks to adopt service rules that will allow for the deployment of the various radar applications in this band, both within and outside the U.S. The Commission takes this action in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Robert Bosch, LLC (Bosch) and two petitions for reconsideration of the 2012 Vehicular Radar R&O.

Update Mailing Addresses Pertaining to Satellite Emergency Radiobeacons

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revises certain mailing addresses pertaining to satellite emergency radiobeacons which are used to facilitate search and rescue of persons in distress. We update the rules to include the correct mailing addresses for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Beacon Registration Database, the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM), the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), and the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard). This Order updates the mailing addresses provided in our rules for NOAA, RTCM, RTCA and the Coast Guard.

Medical Body Area Network

This document addresses an Order on Reconsideration and Second Report and Order in which the Commission takes further actions to foster the development and deployment of new and innovative Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) devices. In addressing petitions for reconsideration of the First Report and Order in this proceeding, the Commission provides MBAN users with additional flexibility to enable the implementation of technical standards being developed for MBAN devices, and clarify and modify portions of its rules to facilitate the coordination, deployment, and use of MBAN systems. In the Second Report and Order portion in this proceeding, the Commission finalizes the process for selecting a MBAN Coordinator. This coordinator will facilitate use of the MBAN frequencies, which operate in shared-use bands. Collectively, our actions will allow the development of new and innovative health care applications.

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