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 13-2321 December 3, 2013 PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON REGION 19 (NEW ENGLAND) 800 MHZ NPSPAC REGIONAL PLAN AMENDMENT General Docket No. 90-53 Comments Due: December 23, 2013 Reply Comments Due: January 2, 2014 Introduction. On September 23, 2013, the Region 19 (New England) 1 800 MHz NPSPAC Regional Planning Committee (RPC) submitted a proposed modification (Plan Amendment) to amend its 800 MHz Public Safety Plan frequency allocation table as a result of its Window Thirty-Three application process. 2 The Plan Amendment proposes the following modification: ? Assignment of frequencies to the City of Providence, Public Safety Communications Department Rhode Island, and Hampden County Sheriff’s Department Massachusetts. 3 Both regions adjacent to Region 19, Region 8 (New York Metropolitan Area) and Region 30 (New York-Albany) have reviewed and provided letters of concurrence in support of the Plan Amendment. We have reviewed the Region 19 Plan Amendment and find it to be compliant with the applicable Commission rules and policies, and tentatively accept the Plan Amendment. In accordance with the National Public Safety Plan, each region is responsible for planning its use of the public safety radio frequency spectrum (subsequently, rebanded to the 806-809/851-854 MHz band segment). 4 1 The Region 19 (New England) 800 MHz regional planning area encompasses six states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. The three northernmost states, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, share a border with Canada. 2 See Letter from Jerry Zarwanski, Chair, Region 19 (New England) 800 MHz NPSPAC Regional Planning Committee, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, General Docket 90-53 (filed Sept. 23, 2013) (Plan Amendment). 3 The Window Thirty-Three Channel Allocations results assign channel numbers: 60 (frequency 851.7875\806.7875) and 98 (852.2875\807.2875) to Providence, Rhode Island, and 84 (852.1125\807.1125), 148 (852.9375\807.9375, 184 (853.4125\808.4125), and 218 (853.8375\808.8375) to Hampden County Sheriff’s Department. 4 See Development and Implementation of a Public Safety National Plan and Amendment of Part 90 to Establish Service Rules and Technical Standards for Use of the 821-824/766-869 MHz Bands by the Public Safety services, Report and Order, General Docket No. 87-112, 3 FCC Rcd 905 (1987). The band was modified by the Commission 2Request for Comments on the Region 19 Plan Amendment. Prior to taking further action on the Plan Amendment, by this Public Notice we solicit comments on the Region 19 Plan Amendment. Pursuant to Sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments on the plan amendment on or before December 23, 2013. Parties interested in submitting reply comments must do so on or before January 2, 2014. All comments and reply comments should reference the subject plan amendment and General Docket No. 90-53. Parties may file comments and reply comments by using (1) the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2) the Federal Government’s eRulemaking Portal, or (3) by filing paper copies. See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). ? Electronic Filers: Comments and reply comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs or the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the website for submitting comments. ? For ECFS Filers: In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the rulemaking number. Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions, filers should send an email to ecfs@fcc.gov and include the following words in the body of the message: “get form.” A sample form and directions will be sent in response. ? Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and four copies of each filing. Commenters may send filings by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although the Commission continues to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). Commenters must address all filings to: Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. ? Effective December 28, 2009, commenters must submit all hand-delivered or messenger- delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary to FCC Headquarters at 445 12 th Street, SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building. PLEASE NOTE: The Commission’s former filing location at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE is permanently closed. ? Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. ? U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. ? People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty). in the Rebanding proceeding, WT Docket 02-55, by shifting the NPSPAC band down by 15 megahertz to 806- 824/851-869 MHz. 3Commenters must address all filings to the Commission’s Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554. Parties must also serve one copy with the Commission’s copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554, (202) 488-5300, or via email to fcc@bcpiweb.com. The Plan Amendment is available through ECFS at ecfs@fcc.gov. Region 19 Plan documents in General Docket No. 90-53 are available for public inspection and copying during business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th St. SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, D.C. 20554. The documents may also be purchased from BCPI, telephone (202) 488-5300, facsimile (202) 488-5563, TTY (202) 488-5562, email fcc@bcpiweb.com. For further information regarding this matter, contact Jeannie Benfaida, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at (202) 418-2313 or Jeannie.Benfaida@fcc.gov. - FCC -