PUBLIC NOTICE 1 Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 08- 2464 November 06, 2008 PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU AND WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU ESTABLISH NEW 800 MHZ VACATED CHANNEL SEARCH ENGINE FOR IDENTIFYING VACATED CHANNELS IN THE 800 MHZ INTERLEAVED BAND THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR LICENSING TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY ENTITIES Search Engine Will Be Available at http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp Beginning on November 06, 2008 WT Docket No. 02-55 The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) have established a new 800 MHz Vacated Channel Search Engine that will enable public safety and critical infrastructure industry (CII) entities, frequency coordinators, and the public to identify 800 MHz channels in the Interleaved Band (809-815/854-860 MHz) that have been relinquished by Sprint Nextel Corporation (Sprint) as part of rebanding. The vacated spectrum will be made available for licensing to public safety and CII eligible entities. This Public Notice only announces the availability of the search engine and does not authorize the filing of applications for vacated channels. We will announce application procedures for specific available channels by future public notices, which will identify the channels by region and frequency range and will set forth relevant application windows, filing procedures, and frequency coordination requirements. Background The 800 MHz Report and Order requires Sprint to vacate its channel holdings in the Interleaved Band as part of 800 MHz band reconfiguration.1 The Commission subsequently modified this requirement to permit Sprint to release the spectrum it must vacate in stages as band reconfiguration progresses in each NPSPAC Public Safety Region.2 As an initial step, Sprint has relinquished its channel holdings in the 809-809.5/854-854.5 MHz band segment in all non-border regions.3 As provided in the 1 See Improving Public Safety Communications in the 800 MHz Band, Report and Order, Fifth Report and Order, Fourth Memorandum Opinion and Order, and Order, WT Docket No. 02-55, 19 FCC Rcd 14969, 15046-47 ¶ 146 (2004) (800 MHz Report and Order). See also Improving Public Safety Communications in the 800 MHz Band, Third Memorandum Opinion and Order, 22 FCC Rcd 17209, 17217 ¶ 28 (2007), aff’d, Sprint Nextel Corp. v. FCC, 524 F.3d 253 (D.C. Cir. 2008). 2 See Improving Public Safety Communications in the 800 MHz Band, Relinquishment By Sprint Nextel of Channels in the Interleaved, Expansion, and Guard Bands, WT Docket No. 02-55, Order, FCC 08-253 (rel. Oct. 30, 2008). 3 Id. at ¶¶ 9, 17. Some counties outside the border regions are being withheld if channel assignments in those counties are impacted by the border region band plans. 2 800 MHz Report and Order, these channels will then be made available for licensing exclusively to public safety entities for a three year period, and exclusively to public safety and CII entities for an additional two years.4 Vacated Channel Search Engine To assist public safety and CII entities, frequency coordinators, and the public in identifying 800 MHz channels that are being vacated by Sprint, PSHSB and WTB have established the 800 MHz Vacated Channel Search Engine (VCSE). Users will be able to access the VCSE beginning on November 06, 2008 at http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp listed as a specialized search. As Sprint relinquishes specific channels in the Interleaved Band to the Commission, geographic and frequency data regarding each channel will be uploaded into the VCSE. Users can search the VCSE for vacated channels by frequency, site, region, or former call sign. Users with data processing capability (e.g., frequency coordinators) can also download channel data from the VCSE public access file posted at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=transaction&page=weekly. Initially, the VCSE will be populated with data regarding Sprint’s relinquished channel holdings in the 809-809.5/854-854.5 MHz band segment in non-border regions. As Sprint relinquishes additional channels in the Interleaved Band, updated channel availability information will be uploaded into the VCSE accordingly. Availability of Channels for Licensing Inclusion in the VCSE of information regarding vacated Interleaved Band channels does not indicate that the specified channels are available for filing of applications. PSHSB will announce procedures for eligible applicants to apply for vacated Interleaved Band channels by subsequent public notices. Each such public notice will identify (by region and frequency range) the vacated channels for which applications may be filed, and will specify the initial date that the Commission will accept applications for such channels. Any application filed before the initial filing date specified for such channels will be dismissed. The initial filing date specified in each public notice will also commence the three-year period of exclusive eligibility with respect to such channels for public safety and the subsequent two-year period of exclusive eligibility for public safety and CII. Upon release of each public notice, the VCSE will be updated to include the date that the Commission will begin accepting applications for each channel identified in the public notice. Additional Information For additional information or assistance, you may visit the Web at http://esupport.fcc.gov. You may also call the FCC Support Center at (877) 480-3201 or 717-338-2888 (TTY 717-338-2824) and select Option #2, Forms or Licensing Assistance. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays). To provide quality service and ensure security, all telephone calls are recorded. Action by Associate Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, and Deputy Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. – FCC – 4 800 MHz Report and Order at 15052 ¶ 152. In addition to channels vacated by Sprint, some channels vacated by other licensees that have relocated to the 800 MHz ESMR band or the Guard Band will also be made available. After five years, any remaining vacated channels will revert to their original frequency pools (e.g., SMR, B/ILT) and be available for licensing to any eligible applicant.