*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 24105.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov TTY: 1- 888- 835- 5322 DA- 02- 3497 December 31, 2002 700 MHz PUBLIC SAFETY BAND GENERAL USE CHANNELS – ANNOUNCEMENT DOCKET NUMBER FOR FILINGS RELATED TO REGIONAL PLANS WT Docket No. 02- 378 By this Public Notice, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announces the establishment of a separate docket, WT Docket No. 02- 378, to be used exclusively for filings related to the Commission’s review and approval of regional plans or amendments thereto regarding the 12. 5 megahertz of spectrum in the 764- 776 and 794- 806 MHz band (700 MHz public safety band) designated for general use. 1 By way of background, in 1998, the Commission adopted a band plan for the 700 MHz public safety band, and established a structure to allow regional planning committees (RPCs) maximum flexibility to meet state and local needs, encourage innovative use of the spectrum, and accommodate new and as yet unanticipated developments in technology and equipment. 2 There are fifty- five RPCs and each committee is required to submit its plan for the general use spectrum. Each regional plan must contain certain elements 3 and must be coordinated with adjacent regions. 4 Regional plans and plan amendments must be submitted to the Commission for review and approval. In developing their regional plans, RPCs should ensure that their proposed plans comply with the rules and policies governing the 700 MHz public safety regional planning process. 5 We also encourage the RPCs to consider utilizing the guidelines developed by the Public Safety National Coordinating Committee (NCC). 6 1 A list of 700 MHz regional planning committees and region activities are available at http:// www. wireless. fcc. gov/ publicsafety/ 700MHz 2 See 47 C. F. R. § 90. 527; see also The Development of Operational, Technical and Spectrum Requirements for Meeting Federal, State and Local Public Safety Agency Communication Requirements through the Year 2010, WT Docket No. 96- 86, First Report and Order and Third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 14 FCC Rcd 152 (1998) (First Report and Order). 3 Id. at 193- 94 ¶ 84. 4 Id. at 195 ¶ 87. 5 47 C. F. R. § 90.527; see also, First Report and Order, 14 FCC Rcd at 190- 196 ¶¶ 77- 89. 6 The NCC is a federal advisory committee established by the Commission in 1999 to address and advise the Commission on operational and technical parameters for use of the 700 MHz public safety band. The NCC also provides voluntary assistance in the development of coordinated regional plans. A copy of the 700 MHz Regional 1 2 Submission of Regional Plans. A cover letter signed by the RPC Chairman must accompany the submission and clearly identify in its subject line the WT Docket Number 02- 378 and Region number. Example: WTB Docket No. 02- 378, Region xx – 700 MHz Regional Plan. Once an RPC has finished its proposed plan or amendment thereto, the RPC Chairman should file an original and five copies of the plan with the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12 th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. Alternatively, the RPC Chairman may file its plan or amendment electronically using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). 7 In addition, the RPC Chairman should send a copy of the submission via e- mail to Jeannie Benfaida jbenfaid@ fcc. gov of the Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. Notice and Comment. A regional plan will be initially reviewed and accepted, or rejected with an explanation. 8 Accepted plans will be placed on public notice for comment. The Commission solicits comments from the public before taking final action on any proposed regional plan or regional plan amendment. The full text of the all Regional plans, requests for review and amendment, comments and reply comments, will be available for inspection and duplication during regular business hours in the Reference Information Center (RIC) of the Consumer Information Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S. W., CY- A257, Washington, D. C. 20554. Copies may also be purchased from the Commission’s duplicating contractor, Qualex International, Portals II, 445 12 th Street, S. W. Room CY- B402, Washington, D. C. 20554, (202)- 863- 2893, facsimile (202) 863- 2898, or via- e- mail qualexint@ aol. com. For further information regarding the public reference file for a specific regional plan, contact Maria Ringold, Chief, Wireless Branch, RIC, (202) 418- 1355. All regional plans and amendments will be made available for viewing electronically by accessing the Commission’s ECFS and initiating a search of the records for WT Docket No. 02- 378. Information on the 700 MHz Regional Planning process and RPC activities is available at http:// www. wireless. fcc. gov/ publicsafety/ 700MHz. For further information, contact Jeannie Benfaida, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418- 0680, TTY (202) 418- 7233, or via e- mail to jbenfaid@ fcc. gov. Action by the Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. - FCC - Planning Guidebook, is available at the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) website http:// www. npstc. org/ documents. html. 7 Instructions on how to use Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) are available at http:// www. fcc. gov/ e- file/ ecfs. html. 8 See First Report and Order, at 195 ¶ 87. 2